Apple aficionados will jumpstart the week with great excitement as the tech giant announces iOS 17,  jam-packed with fascinating new features and enhancements.

What's best about iOS 17? It will be free to download for iPhone XS devices and newer starting September 18, offering consumers a taste of Apple's latest innovations without buying the iPhone 15.

(Photo : NIC COURY/AFP via Getty Images)
A person photographs the Apple iPhone 15 Pro during a launch event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 12, 2023.

What Should iPhone Users Expect on iOS 17?

New features and enhancements in the latest iOS version should improve the iPhone user experience.

With the much-awaited Journal app, users can now express themselves creatively by creating individual "moments" utilizing images and keeping a journal of their experiences.

StandBy mode is another iOS 17 gem. While your iPhone is at your desk, this low-key lock screen feature shows clocks, picture albums, and calendars.

Contact Drop also makes sharing contact information with other iPhone users easier thanks to a handy tap-to-connect function. Live Voicemail, Live Stickers, FaceTime responses, and other helpful iMessage enhancements, such as voice message transcriptions and swipe-to-reply capability, are all part of iOS 17.

The Home Screen's widgets have improved greatly, providing one-tap functionality for activities like managing to-do lists, regulating music playing, and easily controlling smart home devices. Users may make colorful, unique contact cards for friends and family using the personalization options for phone calls, which uplifts the mood of receiving calls.

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Moreover, the Phone app has Contact Posters, custom caller cards, and a sleep function that enables a glanceable information display when the Always-On Display (AOD) mode is active when the device is in sleep mode, according to 9to5Mac.

Another feature included in the iOS 17 upgrade, AirDrop, becomes smarter with NameDrop, enabling iPhone and Apple Watch users to share contact data seamlessly. AirDrop now allows for content sharing between two devices with only a simple touch. Later this year, it will enable large file transfers over iCloud between neighboring phones.

Users may also use SharePlay for group video, audio, and game activities. Users of CarPlay may benefit from SharePlay's functionality for collective music selection.

The Music app has been improved with the addition of cross-fade capabilities and support for collaborative playlists in this latest iPhone software update.

With the help of machine learning, autocorrect gets a big upgrade that makes it more user-friendly and able to adapt to their typing style.

Also included in the iOS 17 upgrade is a new voice recognition model that enhances dictation accuracy as well.

Compatibility and Upgrade Procedures

Older iPhone devices like the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and iPhone SE are incompatible with iOS 17. While iPhone SE, iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 users receive iOS 17 for free, according to a report from Mirror.

Beginning Monday, iOS 17 may be downloaded via the Settings app on your iPhone. Select General and tap Software Update. Wi-Fi and a charger are needed for a smooth update.

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