Top Stories: visionOS SDK, iOS 17 Beta 2, and More

It's been two weeks since WWDC wrapped up, and this week saw Apple release the second round of betas of its upcoming operating system updates introduced at the conference, plus the initial release of developer tools and a simulator needed to allow developers to build apps for the Vision Pro headset.

top stories 24jun2023
This week also saw another iPhone 15 rumor while we continue to dig into all of the changes in iOS 17, so read on below for a few tidbits we've seen over the past week!

Vision Pro Developer Tools Now Available With New visionOS SDK

Apple this week released a visionOS SDK, allowing developers to start creating apps for the Vision Pro headset ahead of its launch in early 2024. Apple has also made a visionOS simulator available in Xcode 15 beta 2 on the Mac that offers an emulated Vision Pro experience.

apple vision pro sdk
The visionOS developer tools are available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com.

Starting in July, developers will also be able to apply for a Vision Pro developer kit and have the opportunity to attend developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Video: A First Look at visionOS for the Apple Vision Pro

On our YouTube channel, we have shared a video offering a first look at the visionOS simulator in Xcode. The simulator provides access to apps like Safari and Settings, Control Center, and more.

visionOS Demo Thumb 2
The simulator offers a much more limited visionOS experience than will be available on the actual Vision Pro, but it provides a preview of what to expect when the device launches to the public early next year.

Everything New in iOS 17 Beta 2

Apple made the second beta of iOS 17 available to developers this week for testing. As usual, there are a handful of smaller changes in the beta, so check out our list of everything new.

General iOS 17 Feature Blue Green
iOS 17 developer betas are available to anyone with a free Apple developer account, and a public beta will be available in July. The software update will be released later this year for the iPhone XS and newer.

Kuo: iPhone 15 to Have Upgraded Ultra Wideband Chip for Enhanced Vision Pro Integration

Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 models coming later this year will be equipped with an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip for enhanced compatibility with the Vision Pro headset.

iphone 15 dummy models
iPhone 11 models and newer are equipped with a U1 chip for spatial awareness. The chip helps to power features such as Precision Finding for AirTags, directional AirDrop, handing off music to a HomePod, and more.

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Add Passkey Support to Your Apple ID

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, users with an Apple ID will automatically be assigned a passkey, allowing them to sign into their Apple ID with Face ID or Touch ID instead of their password on various Apple sign-in pages, like iCloud.com.

iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ID Feature 3
Passkey support for Apple IDs will also be available for third-party apps and websites that support the "Sign in with Apple" feature, according to Apple.

5 New AirDrop Features Coming in iOS 17

Since its introduction in iOS 7, AirDrop has become the favored way for iPhone users to instantly share photos, videos, documents, and more to nearby Apple devices with relative ease.

5 New AirDrop Features Feature
Given its widespread popularity, the feature hasn't changed all that much over the years. But this year, Apple is stepping things up a gear by bringing several new capabilities to AirDrop that make it even more useful.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

iPhones Could Cost Up to $2,300 in the U.S. Due to Tariffs, Analyst Says

Friday April 4, 2025 9:30 am PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff. iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
iOS 18

Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS 18.5 to Developers

Wednesday April 2, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming just two days after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. We don't yet know what Apple is introducing in the iOS 18.5...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works

Thursday April 3, 2025 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by. According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
23 months ago
The visionOS SDK is the most exciting news
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
23 months ago
I "can't wait" for :apple: to release the public betas.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akrapovic Avatar
23 months ago
iOS17 beta feels a little faster, seems to use less battery (Dev beta 1 was using a LOT) and the keyboard seems faster and smoother to appear. Quite a large jump from Dev Beta 1.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
segfaultdotorg Avatar
23 months ago
The iBackpack with the built-in AirTag isn't a top story? Sad!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
23 months ago

The visionOS SDK is the most exciting news
While it's exciting to see Apple push in this direction, the way you do things traditionally for mobile and desktop for VisionOS to act as substitute is going to be challenging.

Remember this is Apple's first attempt at spatial computing (3D interface). The concept of your interface is floating in front of you requires you to think in 3D, because before you had windows/volumes, now you added spaces which is a view that you can rotate and look at it from different directions.

The big question for the future is how advanced with this extension to iOS/IPadOS development become? Will consumers acceptance to working with spatial computing be more popular then what the iOS and iPadOS provides now? Can they ever provide multitasking of many things occurring in different spaces all at the same time that it compares to what UNIX provides? Probably too many questions, we have a whole year to see how VisionOS matures. :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Powerbooky Avatar
23 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/24/top-stories-visionos-sdk/')

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Add Passkey Support to Your Apple ID

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, users with an Apple ID will automatically be assigned a passkey ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/20/ios-17-macos-sonoma-apple-id-passkey/'), allowing them to sign into their Apple ID with Face ID or Touch ID instead of their password on various Apple sign-in pages, like iCloud.com.

Passkey support for Apple IDs will also be available for third-party apps and websites that support the "Sign in with Apple" feature, according to Apple.

Article Link: Top Stories: visionOS SDK, iOS 17 Beta 2, and More ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/24/top-stories-visionos-sdk/')
And MacRumors still doesn't use "Sign in with Apple".

Please ditch the "Log in with (we mine everything from you) Facebook".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)