Apple iOS 17: Here Are The 7 Biggest Features

September 21, 2023, 09:00 AM EDT

New features include updates to to calling and voicemail, enhanced search for Messages, a customizable assistive access interface and the locking of private browsing in Safari when not in use.

Live voicemail. The next iteration of AirDrop. And the ability for machine learning to identify individual cats and dogs in photos.

These are some of the new features that come with Apple’s new iOS 17 mobile operating system, now available as a free software update for users of iPhone Xs and later models.

The new OS from the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant comes just days after Apple disclosed new features for its iPhone 15 series and Apple Watch Series 9.

Apple iOS 17 Debuts

During Apple’s latest quarterly earnings report in August, the vendor revealed a slide in sales for iPhones, Macs and iPads with a small boost in wearables revenue and a new record for services revenue.

The iPhone segment saw sales drop by 2.4 percent to $39.7 billion, but Apple CEO Tim Cook said that was against record iPhone sales in the same period last year.

When not accounting for the negative impact of foreign currency rates, Cook said iPhone revenue grew and the third quarter was a record for the number of people switching to an iPhone.

Here’s what else you need to know.

Learn More: Smart Phones | Endpoint Security | Machine Learning | AI

Wade Tyler Millward

Wade Tyler Millward is an associate editor covering cloud computing and the channel partner programs of Microsoft, IBM, Red Hat, Oracle, Salesforce, Citrix and other cloud vendors. He can be reached at wmillward@thechannelcompany.com.