December 12 update below. This post was first published on December 11, 2023.
Forbes senior contributor Kate O’Flaherty has now detailed the security implications of iOS 17.2. Read her analysis here.
If it feels like it’s only been days since you’ve updated your iPhone, that’s because it has been. The unexpected iPhone iOS 17.1.2 update appeared on Thursday, November 30, 2023. Less than two weeks later, here is the next version, warning all users to update now.
This update, iOS 17.2, was no surprise as it was going through betas, but there was still an unexpected element: it arrived a day earlier than many expected.
Apple iOS 17.2 has just arrived.
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Here’s what’s in it — and it’s jam-packed — plus how to get it right away.
Which iPhones can run iOS 17.2?
Like all releases since iOS 17 arrived in September, this new update is compatible with all iPhones released in 2018 or later. That means the iPhone Xs, iPhone
How to get it
Open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap General, then Software Update. Here, you’ll see sections about automatic updates, and beta updates. Whether you turn automatic updates on or off, you can choose to download the new software now. Choose to download and install, and your iPhone will be up and running in no time.
What’s in the version
Unlike the last two updates, which were all about bug fixes and security measures, iOS 17.2 has a lot of new features in addition to the usual bug-squashing effects. The most important of these applications is the new Journal application, which helps you write about things that happen to you. Designed to help improve your well-being, it’s amazingly integrated into your iPhone, all securely encrypted for your private input and for your eyes only.
Speaking of integration, with this release Apple has added the ability to shoot video in a certain way that integrates with Apple’s next big product category, the Apple Vision Pro headset. With this update, you can shoot spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These videos will play in 3D on headphones — I’ve watched these videos on headphones and they look amazing — but just regular 2D on the iPhone.
Also on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only, there’s a new shortcut for the action button that replaces the Mute/Ring slider on previous iPhones. You can now set it to translate, making it easier to have conversations in foreign languages without having to open the app.
There are improvements to messages, including customizing the body shape in your Memoji, stickers that can be added to messages as reactions, and security improvements to protect against spyware. Writing messages or whatever is updated so you can turn off built-in predictions, although I personally like that feature.
There are improvements to AirDrop. Similar to NameDrop (which is perfectly safe, despite last week’s hype), you can now share boarding passes or movie tickets just by holding two iPhones together. There’s also Qi2 charger support for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, which isn’t available yet.
Default notification sounds can be further customized, something that was previously limited to text messages, mail and calendar alerts.
With big new features like journaling and many smaller details, this is a major update.
Track Apple Notes.
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- Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your well-being.
- Journaling suggestions make it easier to remember your experiences by cleverly grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal.
- Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can go back and reflect on key moments in your life
- Scheduled notifications help you maintain a consistent daily practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose
- Option to lock your magazine using Touch ID or Face ID
- iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted in iCloud
start button
- Translate option for the action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language
camera
- Spatial Video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in 3D on Apple Vision Pro
- Improved focus speed for the telephoto camera when capturing small, distant objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Messages
- The follow-up arrow allows you to easily jump to the first unread message in the conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
- The Add Sticker option in the context menu allows you to add a sticker directly to the bubble
- Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
- Connection Key Verification provides automatic alerts and connection verification codes to help verify that people facing unusual digital threats are only messaging the people they intend to message
weather
- Precipitation amounts help you stay informed of rain and snow conditions for a particular day over the next 10 days
- New tools let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecasts, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as air quality, gusts, and wind speed.
- A wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access an animated wind map overlay to prepare for wind conditions expected over the next 24 hours
- The interactive lunar calendar allows you to easily visualize the moon phase on any day of the following month
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by pairing two iPhones together
- The Apple Music Favorites playlist lets you quickly return to songs you’ve marked as favorites
- Use of Apple Music listening history can be disabled in Focus so that the music you’re listening to doesn’t appear in Recently Played or affect your recommendations
- The new digital clock widget allows you to quickly glance at the time on your home screen and during standby mode
- Improved Autofill identifies fields in PDF files and other forms, allowing you to fill them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
- New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sami languages
- A sensitive content warning for stickers in messages prevents a sticker containing nudity from appearing unexpectedly
- Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models
- Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in some vehicles
Updated December 12. Along with the update release, Apple has provided a lot of details about spatial video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
in Posted in the newsroom, Apple outlines how its two latest Pro phones are now capable of recording spatial videos, calling it a “groundbreaking new capability that helps users capture life’s precious moments” and watch them again on the Apple Vision Pro when it’s released next year. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, calls these videos “magical.” Although Apple, like most companies, can tend toward exaggeration, I’d say there’s something really unusual about these videos, which I saw in a Vision Pro demo a few months ago. They have a wow factor, which I think will lead some potential customers to reach for their credit cards as soon as they see them.
Apple has more details on how the recording works, explaining that it is captured at 1080p, at a frame rate of 30fps, and with standard dynamic range. The 3D effect, which is very attractive when you see videos played on the Vision Pro, is created by shooting video on two of the iPhone’s cameras at the same time, the main lens and the ultra-wide lens.
How the iPhone 15 Pro captures spatial video.
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This is smart: the two cameras have different focal lengths and different resolution sensors — 48MP on the main camera, 12MP on the ultra-wide camera. Combining them into a single video is complex and is achieved when the iPhone “scales the field of view from the ultra-wide camera to match the field of view of the main camera, which is then saved into a single video file.”
As mentioned above, if you play these files on an iPhone or iPad, for example, you’ll see a regular 2D video. This has a lower wow factor but increases compatibility to boot. In Vision Pro, remember, it will appear life-sized, appearing as either a large window or an immersive environment that largely surrounds the user.
Apple sees this as a way to record your memories. Well, all photos and videos do that, but this is a comprehensive and amazing way to see your memories again.
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