This year is about to see its last big iPhone update, with iOS 17.2 due in the coming days. Here’s what’s in it, whether you can get it, why you should be excited and exactly when it will land.
It’s coming soon after iOS 17.1.2 which is a security-focused update, and you can read why you need to upgrade to that here.
Apple iOS 17.2 is so close you can almost touch it.
Who It’s For
If your iPhone is capable of running iOS 17, you’re good to go with iOS 17.2 when it arrives. This means all handsets from the iPhone XS and XR, released in 2008 onwards. Essentially, if you have a Face ID iPhone, unless it’s the very first one, the iPhone X, you can run iOS 17.2. Additionally both the second- and third-generation iPhone SE models are compatible.
What’s In It And Why It’s Great
Journal is the headline act and it’s easy to see why. It’s a whole new app, designed to let you write about what’s going on in your life. It’s so you can practice gratitude and improve wellbeing. It can help you make it easy to remember experiences, and schedule notifications to encourage consistent usage. It’s all kept secure behind Face ID or Touch ID and entries are encrypted on iCloud. Why it’s great: There are plenty of journaling apps out there but this will be completely integrated into the iPhone and its contents.
A new feature for the Action Button is being added. This is for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets only, and means there’s now going to be a direct shortcut to Translate, so you can handily chat to someone in another language or translate phrases. Why it’s great: Translate without even needing to open an app.
Get ready for the Apple Vision Pro by shooting spatial video on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It means that you’ll have video which looks like regular footage when played back on the iPhone but will be 3D when viewed on the Vision Pro headset.
Why it’s great: Since 3D video was one of the blow-your-mind experiences when I tested the Vision Pro, gathering content in advance will be pretty cool.
Also on the Camera for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, there will be improved telephoto camera focusing, to improve shooting objects that are far away.
Why it’s great: Every improvement to an already great camera is to be applauded.
Messages will have an arrow that guides you quickly to catch up on the first unread message in a conversation, there’ll be more Memoji customization with body shape adjustments, and to combat spyware, if you’re receiving an unusual digital threat, Contact Key Verification and Contact Verification Code can ensure you’re messaging with the people you think you are.
Why it’s great:Plenty of neat upgrades to Messages coming.
The Weather app will be improved with rainfall and snowfall details for periods across the next ten days, customization of rain, sunrise, air quality and more plus an interactive moon calendar, for instance.
Why it’s great: Knowledge is power and the more we can access cool details about the weather, the better.
And there’s more. Improvements to AirDrop will make it as easy to share boarding passes and cinema tickets as NameDrop, there are playlist improvements in Apple Music, a new digital clock widget, improved autofill for fields in PDFs, for example, and Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Oh, and if you’ve suffered from wireless charging issues in certain vehicles, that should be fixed, too.
Release Date
That’s the best news: it’s just hours away. As for the time of day, it will be released at 10a.m. Pacific or a little after. Which day? Well, it could still change but I’m betting on Tuesday, December 12. It’s just possible that it could be the day before, Monday, December 11, but I don’t think so. Apple likes to release on a Tuesday.
I’ll be covering the launch as soon as it happens, so please check back.