This year the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac all got big interface changes. You may have found yourself relearning how to use your device which, to me, is the least enjoyable part of a software update.
If you found yourself suddenly confused as to why swiping doesn’t change Apple Watch faces or if you’ve tried to text someone a photo from your iPhone and got caught off guard by the new iOS 17 giant floating circle icons, you’ll know what I mean.
It’s not always “change” just for the sake of change, even if the change feels pointless, because everything was working just fine before. There’s usually a reason for Apple switching things up or how they work that ties into its grand plan — which may be shifting us to think more about augmented reality.
WatchOS 10 and iOS 17 are getting our Apple Watches, iPhones and, most importantly, us closer to a Vision Pro mindset.
StandBy mode conditioning
This year the biggest change to the iPhone’s operating system was StandBy mode. If your phone is locked, charging and propped up horizontally, your display changes to show either the time, weather, photos, widgets or music that is playing. StandBy mode has a few different views and some minor customizations.
No other iOS 17 feature changed the way I use the iPhone more than StandBy mode. Just being able to make my phone into a little bedside clock has me living that MagSafe charger life. I now have MagSafe stands around the house instead of having to play the ol’ “searching for the right charging cord” game. Who needs a Lightning cable or USB-C cord when you can just slap your iPhone onto a MagSafe stand?
Read more: Best Wireless Charger of 2023
As a result, I use my phone more as a smart display around my home so there’s less reason to use other smart home displays from Google or Amazon. Apple convinced me to spend more on special magnetic charging stands, and use its competitors’ devices less.
But there’s…
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