Apple is just days away from releasing iOS 17, and new details are emerging about what's in store for the next big update. The update is expected to bring new features to the always-on display hardware, which could be a precursor to a future Apple smart display.
The always-on display currently presents a dimmed version of the wallpaper, time, notifications, and up to five widgets. No landscape support is present on the lock screen nor home screen. However, iOS 17 is expected to add a new display mode that turns the iPhone into a smart display of sorts when locked in landscape orientation.
The new display view will appear when an iPhone is locked and positioned horizontally, operating similarly to dedicated displays offered by other companies. The idea is to make iPhones more useful when they're, for example, lying on a person's desk or nightstand.
The new display view will be capable of presenting data like calendar appointments, the weather and notifications in the style of a smart-home display. It will also rely on a dark background and bright text for increased legibility.
Apple is said to be developing its own smart display similar to Amazon's Echo Show products. This sounds like a clear distinction between the existing always-on lock screen experience with iOS 16. Presumably, the experience will remain the same in portrait orientation.
As for landscape orientation support, Apple has previously supported a dedicated home screen layout that rotates everything on iPhone 6 Plus and similar. iPhone 14 Pro users can already configure widgets to show this sort of information, but iOS 17 sounds like it could take better advantage of the available screen space.
iOS 17 will be the first major software update for iPhone since the company launched always-on display hardware with iOS 16 and iPhone 14 Pro. The new display technology is expected to remain exclusive to the Pro line with the iPhone 15 later this fall, although the Dynamic Island design and interface is expected to come to the non-Pro line.
Finally, the update is expected to include significant changes to the iPhone's Wallet app and enhancements to its location services. As for iPadOS, the update is expected to include a new horizontal interface for the iPad.
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