Apple confirmed in early January that iOS 17.4 coming in March with important changes to Safari and the App Store due to the new Digital Markets Act, including the ability to use third-party app stores or the ability to significantly change the default browser.
iOS 17.4, which will be available for all iPhone models compatible with iOS 17, will have other important new features, such as the introduction of new emoji, improvements to the Podcast app, new features for HomePods and the finally launch of new Carplay.
However, the most significant new feature is changes to Safari, Apple Pay and the App Store, which are only available in the 27 member countries of the European Union.We repeat once again, the Digital Markets Law. One of them is the emergence of alternative app stores. That is, with iOS 17.4, iPhone users living in an EU country will be able to use a different app store to download games or applications that are not available in the App Store. Including, of course, Fortnite. Apps and services such as Spotify will also be able to use their own payment platform.
The Digital Markets Act also requires Apple Allow third party wallet apps to access NFC for mobile payments. So we may also see platforms like Google Pay coming to iOS.
On the other hand, Apple has confirmed that iOS 17.4 will include a new default browser selection screen in Safari. This will make it easier for the user to switch browsers, allowing them to choose between 11 different alternatives, including Chrome, Edge, Opera or Mozilla Firefox. The company will also no longer force browsers to use its Webkit.
iOS 17.4 comes with new emoji, SharePlay on HomePod, and more.
iOS 17.4 will include up to six new emoticons, including two new faces; a head that moves vertically and the other one moves horizontally. New lime, brown mushroom, broken chain, and phoenix emojis will also be added. These emoji will be compatible with any application, but only those users who have iOS 17.4 installed on their iPhone will be able to see them.
New update for iPhone will also provide SharePlay compatibility with HomePods. Let’s remember that this feature allows friends or family to control the music played on the device. Even without requiring other users to have an Apple Music subscription.
To use SharePlay on HomePod, you just need to press the button that appears at the bottom of the iPhone player and scan the iPhone QR code.
New CarPlay is closer than ever
Beta versions of iOS 17.4 include eight new apps for CarPlay, which reveals the future emergence of a new generation of car platform. Apple also recently updated the CarPlay section of its website, saying that the first cars with the big update will be available in late 2024.
Apps that can access CarPlay are designed to control certain vehicle components. They are designed to control the rear view camera, air conditioning, charging, auto pressure, driving and trip data. There’s also another app for controlling multimedia devices like radios, and an auto setup app for controlling CarPlay-connected iPhones and more.
Source: Hiper Textual
I’m Ben Stock, a highly experienced and passionate journalist with a career in the news industry spanning more than 10 years. I specialize in writing content for websites, including researching and interviewing sources to produce engaging articles. My current role is as an author at Gadget Onus, where I mainly cover the mobile section.
