Apple recently unveiled its first set of public beta versions for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. These releases come with a range of exciting new features that aim to enhance the user experience across Apple devices.
One notable addition is the introduction of full-page screenshots on iOS 17. This feature allows users to capture entire web pages or documents as images or PDF files. While Android phones have offered similar functionality through “Scrolling screenshots” for years, this is a welcome addition for iOS users who previously could only save PDF files of a full-page screenshot.
Another major update is the bilingual Siri support. Apple has integrated support for bilingual queries in select Indic languages such as English combined with Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Kannada, or Marathi. This multilingual capability enables users in India to interact with Siri by mixing different languages during conversations. Google Assistant and Amazon’s virtual assistant had already introduced multilingual support in 2018 and 2019 respectively, so Apple’s inclusion of this feature is seen as a catch-up move in the Indian market.
For dual-SIM users, Apple has improved SMS sorting by introducing per-SIM message organization and separate ringtones for each SIM card. Additionally, when receiving calls from unknown numbers, users now have the option to choose which SIM card to use for calling back.
Indian users will also benefit from several other updates across Apple platforms. Transliteration support has been expanded on iOS to include Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages. This means that users can input text using their native script and have it automatically converted into these supported languages. Furthermore, signing into an Apple ID can now be done using a phone number instead of an email address on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma.
To cater specifically to Punjabi-speaking users in India, Apple has introduced a built-in Punjabi dictionary across its platforms. This dictionary provides definitions of words and phrases in Punjabi, making it easier for users to understand and communicate.
Other notable improvements include an increased call history capacity of up to 2,000 calls, including FaceTime and WhatsApp calls. iPad users can now filter messages based on known and unknown senders, allowing for better organization and management of incoming communications.
It is important to note that these beta versions may contain some bugs due to their pre-release nature. As a result, users who prefer not to install them on their main devices can wait for the stable versions of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, which are expected to be released later this fall.