Apple previewed its iOS 17 on the first day of its annual WWDC 2023 conference, as widely expected, and the new iOS iteration is a major release that upgrades the communications experience across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. iOS 17 also brings the biggest change to Apple’s virtual assistant Siri as its trigger phrase is becoming shorter to just “Siri” from “Hey Siri”. This is similar to what Amazon has done with its smart assistant’s trigger phrase which is now a shorter “Alexa”.
New iOS versions drop support for several old iPhone models and iOS 17 too has dropped support for a number of iPhone models. The new iOS 17 is compatible with iPhone XS series or newer models, the second and third-gen iPhone SE models, which means the iPhone X and iPhone 8 series with Apple’s A11 Bionic chipset are not compatible with iOS 17.
Here is the full list of iPhones that support iOS 17:
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (second gen and later)
iOS 17 also introduces new experiences with Journal, an app that makes it easy for people to practice gratitude, and StandBy, a new way to view glanceable information when iPhone is set down and is charging.
Messages get significant updates with new iOS 17, including an all-new stickers experience with new emoji stickers and the ability to create Live Stickers by lifting subjects from photos. iPhone users can also add effects to Live Stickers that bring them to life, and a new drawer in the keyboard puts all of a user’s stickers in one place for easier access across iOS.
With the iOS 17, FaceTime now supports audio and video messages so when users call someone who is not available, they can share a message that can be checked later. FaceTime calls also get more expressive with Reactions such as hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, rain, and more.
The Phone app is “central” to the iPhone experience, and it receives a big update with personalised Contact Posters, providing a new way for users to express themselves. Users can customise how they appear, bringing a completely new look to incoming calls, and choose beautiful treatments for photos or Memoji, as well as eye-catching typography and font colours. Contact Posters will also be available for third-party calling apps, Apple said.