5 interesting new features in iOS 17

Buried in the Settings app, these novel tools might be right for you.

Author

Lewis Wallace
June 24, 2023

New accessibility features coming in iOS 17 are designed to make life easier for people with certain disabilities, but anyone can use them. Some of them will surprise and delight just about any iPhone user, as this weekend’s top how-to illustrates.

Our writer D. Griffin Jones went hands-on with five new accessibility features in iOS 17. Read the post or watch the video to see how they work.

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

Hands-on with 5 powerful accessibility features in iOS 17

If you don't try Apple’s accessibility features because you’re not blind or deaf and don't think they will make your life easier, you're missing out.

Hands on with interactive widgets in iOS 17

A long-requested improvement is finally coming to iOS 17: interactive widgets. Here is what it’s like to use the new feature on an iPhone.

News

iOS 17 developer beta 2: All the new features and changes

iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 developer beta 2 are here with several new features and changes. Here's a look at everything new.

Plus, more OS news:

Why Apple Watch doesn’t allow third-party watch faces

Cupertino won't give the green light to third-party Apple Watch faces. Apple doesn’t trust other developers to not muck up the wearable.

EU forces removable batteries on iPhone and iPad

The European Parliament passes legislation that will require iPhone and iPad batteries to be “readily removable and replaceable.”

MacBooks make up a whopping 77% of Mac sales

New data from a market research firm shows that Apple’s notebooks made up the lion’s share of Mac sales in the past year. But that’s just the start of the surprises.

Will there be a ‘Ted Lasso’ season 4? Yes, if Tim Cook gets his way.

Comments from "Ted Lasso" co-creator Brendan Hunt, aka Coach Beard, definitely leave the door open for another season of the Apple TV+ hit.

Amazing mod turns Apple Watch into mechanical timepiece

It took a lot more than the planned one weekend and $100 to do it, but the resulting mechanical Apple Watch is gorgeous.

Here are the Vision Pro apps that Apple won’t allow

While Apple is encouraging developers to write software for the Vision Pro AR headset, there are some types of applications it doesn’t want.

Deals

This 3-in-1 USB-C charging cable connects to iPhone, Apple Watch and more

With two Lightning connectors and a magnetic Apple Watch charging puck, this USB-C cable can power up all your everyday-carry devices.

Plus, more hardware from Cult of Mac Deals:

Massive discount drops the 10.2-inch iPad to its lowest price

The 10.2-inch iPad, the cheapest tablet in Apple's lineup, is once again available for its all-time low price of $249.99.

Make your Mac feel like new with this discounted app

If you want to help your Mac work like new again, here’s your chance to get the best price online for CleanMyMac X from MacPaw.

Plus, more software deals:

Reviews and recommendations

This 2TB SSD is not a scam [Review] ★★★☆☆

A UGR Tech 2TB SSD sells for a suspiciously low price. But testing shows an external drive with lots of storage — and one significant limitation.

You can’t lose this backpack with AirTag-type tracking built in [Review] ★★★★½

HyperPack Pro has room for a 16-inch MacBook plus plenty of other gear. And it offers a built-in tracker using Apple's Find My system.

‘Swagger’ bounces back for baller second season [Apple TV+ recaps] ★★★★½

Apple TV+ sports drama "Swagger" returns in fine form this week, as high school basketball star Jace and his team face fresh challenges.

Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps:

Securely store files in this Kingston flash drive encrypted with a keypad [Review] ★★★★☆

The Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200 includes a built-in keypad so you can easily unlock the encrypted drive and use it with almost any computer.

Sleek steel mesh Apple Watch band now comes in 7 colors

Laut's elegant Steel Loop Apple Watch Band in the Cult of Mac Store now comes in green plus six other hues.

3 Reasons to Watch: Stellar Apple TV+ music miniseries ‘Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson’

Here are three reasons to stream the stellar Apple TV+ miniseries about music production, "Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson."

Setups

Monster 65-inch display dominates dual-station home office

This setup sports something we don't see often -- multiple stations for different uses. Plus, a colossal 65-inch smart TV doubles as a monitor.

MacBook Pro rig rides high Down Under

In this setup, a MacBook Pro and a Surface 8 laptop vie for dominance with a nice Dell 4K display overlooking Sydney, Australia.

Portrait-mode monitor and classic Apple poster pump up workstation

The owner of this MacBook Pro setup lucked into a second monitor and set it up vertically -- right under a vintage PowerBook G4 poster!