Apple yesterday announced that iOS 17 is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer versions, meaning that support has will be suspended for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. according to Apple the first iOS 17 beta will be available to members of Apple’s Developer Program for testing later today, and a public beta will be released in July. The second and third-generation iPhone SE models are still supported so it seems the bottleneck for the iPhone X and 8 series is the aging A11 Bionic chipset.
Every phone that’s eligible for iOS 17 will get the news features coming with the iOS 17, the new design-driven contact cards, the StandBy display for quick info while you’re charging, and the Check In feature to notify someone that you’ve arrived home safely. But a few features are reserved for newer iPhones. Gesture-based reactions with AR effects in FaceTime will require an iPhone 12 or newer, for example.
Apple says iOS 17 will be released to the public in the fall, likely in September alongside new iPhone 15 models.
