A smart display-like lock screen might be in the pipeline for iPhones with iOS 17, similar to Android's At a Glance widget or Google Pixel Stand display. According to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a new feature that turns the iPhone screen into a smart home-style display. This means that when the phone is locked and tilted horizontally, it could show useful information like the weather, calendar appointments, and notifications.
Gurman notes that this interface would display widgets on a dark background with bright text, enhancing the lock screen widgets introduced with iOS 16. This feature would be particularly useful when your iPhone is on your desk or nightstand, allowing you to keep track of notifications and upcoming appointments without unlocking your device.
This approach mirrors Google's approach for its Pixel devices when used with the Pixel Stand. While charging on the stand, Pixel devices can display various settings, show a slideshow of images from Google Photos, and showcase the At a Glance widget. This widget displays useful information like the date, calendar appointments, air quality alerts, and other relevant notifications.
Gurman further reports that Apple plans to extend this feature to iPads and is developing a magnetic mount for the device. This addition could make the iPad more competitive with the Google Pixel Tablet, which comes with a speaker dock that also charges the device. Similar to the Pixel Tablet, once mounted on the dock, the iPad's display could show an array of smart home controls or function as a digital photo frame.
Apple is anticipated to unveil this feature along with iOS 17 at its Worldwide Developers Conference next month. Other rumored features for the new OS include a journaling app designed to encourage daily reflection and an update to the Wallet app.
