Apple has a lot on its plate as the year inches closer to September and the tech giant gears up to introduce its flagship series of 2023, the iPhone 15 line-up. While we keep hearing speculations and reports surrounding the upcoming series, tech enthusiasts are also excited about the upcoming software update, the iOS 17.

Going by recent reports, the Cupertino-based tech giant is planning to release a new feature with iOS 17 that will turn locked iPhones into smart home-style displays.

According to a report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the iPhone’s interface will display information like calendar appointments, weather, and notifications when it’s locked and placed horizontally.

The report further mentioned that the interface will work similarly to smart home devices from Google and Amazon. Moreover, the report mentioned that the feature will utilise a dark background and bright text combination, enhancing readability even from a distance.

It is also being speculated that Apple is working on bringing this smart home feature to the iPad, he points out that the company doesn’t introduce features to iPads as quickly as it does to the iPhone, since iPhone’s lock screen widgets aren’t yet available on iPads.

The report further said that the tech giant is planning to introduce significant changes to the iPhone’s Wallet app with iOS 17 and will add enhancements to its location services.

Meanwhile, Apple has released iOS 16.5 software update to all users with a new feature — ‘sports tab’ in its News app. The new iOS 16.5 is available for iPhone 8 and later. The new tab serves as a hub for scores, match schedules, and articles on users’ favourite sports teams.On the other hand, the tech giant’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off from June 5 where the tech giant is expected to announce new tools, latest technologies and frameworks of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS.