Upcoming iOS 17 Preview to reportedly have features long requested by users

(Image: REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade)

Apple's next big update to its smartphone operating system was going to be focused on improving stability and reliability, but that strategy appears to have changed.

According to a report from Bloomberg, iOS 17 will now ship with several "nice to have" features, some of which have been long requested by users.

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The original plan to have iOS 17 be an iterative update was to avoid the repeat of iOS 16, which Bloomberg says, "was an ambitious update that suffered from missed deadlines and a buggy start".

But that strategy has now shifted, and iOS 17 will be reportedly a more significant update than before. According to Bloomberg, "The goal of the software, codenamed "Dawn," is to check off several of users' most requested features."

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Some of the more major features may include - a revamped CarPlay experience, Siri improvements, support for sideloading apps and alternate app stores, support for Apple's mixed reality headset and more.

As with the other major updates, iOS 17 will be previewed at WWDC 2023, which is expected to take place in June. The new operating system will roll out to supported devices by the end of the year.