When Apple issues its next big iPhone update—iOS 17.4—it will be the most feature-packed and wide-ranging mid-cycle release ever. More revelations are emerging of what’s coming, with more features crammed in than were expected. Here are the latest details, and exactly when you can get your hands on it—the predicted release date is at the end.
The EU Changes
If you’re in the European Union, the Digital Markets Act is about to come into force, and to comply with the changes required, Apple will introduce alternative app marketplaces. You’ll no longer be restricted to buying apps from the App Store. Similarly, there will be easier access to different web browsers other than Safari—you can choose other browsers already, but there will be support for other browser engines and when you update, you’ll see a message asking you to choose. There will also be support for other payment methods, the capability to set default NFC and wallet apps in Apple Pay and more.
These changes are pervasive and will change the iPhone forever. Right now, they will only apply in the EU, but you can bet that British and American and other governments will be watching, and deciding if they should insist that this opening up happens elsewhere.
Home Screen Web Apps
Also as a result of the DMA, support for home screen web apps will be removed in the EU, because of issues of security and compatibility with other browser engines.
Quantum Computing For iMessage
The level of security for your messages is about to skyrocket, thanks to something called PQ3, which Apple calls, “a groundbreaking post-quantum cryptographic protocol that advances the state of the art of end-to-end secure messaging.” You can read full details of what it entails, here. Suffice it to say it’s a big deal and will future-proof your messaging against hacking that isn’t even possible yet.
New Emoji
I always love it when Apple introduces new emoji and although there aren’t that many, they’re very welcome. Best of all is the phoenix, its wings tipped with flames. Then there are two smiley faces, one shaking their head, the other nodding. There’s a mushroom which looks almost real, a similarly photo-realistic lime (so sharp, it makes you lick your lips in anticipation, and a chain that’s breaking in two. Suitable for everything from moments of freedom to celebrations of, I don’t know, divorce maybe?
Stolen Device Protection
This is one of the best new features Apple has ever introduced and it’s about to get better. It arrived in iOS 17.3—full details here—and works to limit what can be changed in certain locations, to protect the phone. But if you want it to put these limitations in place everywhere, well, with iOS 17.4, you can.
And There’s More
The Battery menu is upgraded to make it easier to see how its lifespan is doing, and Apple had surprise news for all iPhone 15 owners about this.
There’ll be a new, full-color welcome screen with your profile picture when you upgrade, as if to say, “Seriously, this is an important update!”
Apple Podcasts is adding support for transcripts, which will be great.
Siri will be able to read messages in more languages than one.
There’s an upgrade to CarPlay for certain cars (which has been promised for a long time).
German users can now say “Siri,” instead of “Hey, Siri,” although to be honest, I still always say the hey. It’s more friendly, somehow.
Release Date
So, when can you access this cornucopia of riches? Exactly when? 10 a.m. Pacific time. Oh, hold on, you want the date, too? Very well.
The reason I put the EU changes up top, even though they won’t affect all readers is it’s the DMA that is defining the release date. That law takes effect on Wednesday, March 6. So, it’s going to be then or earlier, for certain.
Given that 10 a.m. Pacific is 7 p.m. Central European Time, I think it can’t be Wednesday, March 6. I think Apple will implement the EU changes at the last possible moment, which means: Tuesday, March 5. Tuesday is Apple’s favorite release day. However, I’m still of the mind that Apple will likely do things in an orderly way and release it on its second-favorite day of the week: Monday.
Things could change, but I believe you should be ready to download this awesome update from 10 a.m. Pacific time on Monday, March 4.
