After more than two months, the official version of iOS 17.5 is finally here, this time with the version number 21F79, which is the same as the RC version released last week. At the same time, Apple also pushed the official update of iPadOS 17.5, macOS 14.5, and watchOS 10.5 to iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch users.
And for older devices that are no longer compatible with the latest systems, Apple has also released iOS 16.7.8 and iPadOS 16.7.8 versions. Next, a brief summary of the changes to the new system.
iOS 17.5 doesn't have a lot of updates, but the more obvious change is the addition of a "cross-platform anti-tracking" feature. In early May last year, Apple and Google jointly submitted a proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location tracking devices for unwanted tracking.
Now, the feature is finally available in iOS 17.5. To put it simply, when a Bluetooth tracker appears nearby, your iPhone will detect and send you a notification, regardless of whether the tracker is paired with iOS or Android.
This feature is still very useful to prevent malicious tracking to a certain extent, and if you have already upgraded to iOS 17, it is recommended to update to the latest version 17.5. On the Android side, Google also offers this feature for devices running Android 6.0 and above.
In addition, in the official version of iOS 17.5, Apple also added a "repair mode" feature. The operation steps are: When you remove the current iPhone in the Find My app, a pop-up window will appear that cannot be removed, and click "Continue" to enter the repair mode.
The purpose of repair mode is that when you send your iPhone for repair, you need to turn off Find My first, but due to the existence of the "Stolen Device Protection" function, you need to wait for a safe delay of 1 hour to turn off Find My, which may cause some inconvenience to the repair experience.
Now, with repair mode turned on, you can send your iPhone for repair without turning off Find My. However, it should be noted that Apple does not currently provide the option to turn off this mode, so it is recommended that you do not try it lightly.
In addition, iOS 17.5 has also updated a new set of rainbow series live wallpapers, with the word "Pride" in the center of the wallpaper, which will switch forms every time you enter the notification center or return to the desktop, which looks quite cool.
The Pride Radiance watch face is also available on Apple Watch, along with a new Rainbow Edition woven single loop band, priced at 779 yuan, which will be available to order from May 22.
That's it for the official iOS 17.5 update, with little change, but the new features are useful. iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will be released next month, and the focus this time will undoubtedly be on AI, and it's because of AI that the new iPad Pro has just been released that the M4 chip debuted.
So, the new iPad Pro + iPadOS 18 is actually the whole thing. Similarly, the iPhone 16 series in the second half of the year may also have some of the AI features of iOS 18 exclusively.
Are you looking forward to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18?