iOS 17.5, watchOS 10.5 & More Coming “Soon”

Apple today announced that its iOS 17.5 update for iPhone, iPadOS 17.5 update for iPad, and watchOS 10.5 update for Apple Watch are all coming “soon.”

The company revealed its plans in an announcement about a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop and matching watch face and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers.

The new Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop goes on sale May 22nd, but Apple didn’t confirm a specific release date for the upcoming software.

However, it did say the new Pride Radiance watch face and iPhone and iPad wallpaper will be available soon with watchOS 10.5, iOS 17.5, and iPadOS 17.5.

iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch users will be able to download the Pride Radiance watch face through the Apple Watch app, on the Apple Store app, or at apple.com.

The three updates are currently in beta testing ahead of their public release and Apple’s announcement means we should see the final betas, dubbed Golden Master or GM, land in the near future.

In addition to updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, the company is also testing software for the Mac (macOS Sonoma 14.5), Vision Pro (visionOS 1.2), and Apple TV.

The company didn’t mention these updates in the announcement, but we expect these updates to roll out at the same time as the other upgrades.

These upgrades are expected to be relatively minor, there will be changes that go beyond the new wallpapers and watch face. In particular, iOS 17.5 will include the following:

• Support for downloading apps from developer websites in the EU.
• Anti-stalking features.
• A new addicting game called Quartiles.
• Podcasts widget’s background art now changes based on the podcast.
• A new “Repair State” feature that lets iPhone users send in their device for repairs without having to disable Find My and Activation Lock.

iPadOS 17.5 should deliver support for the company’s new Apple Pencil which will debut alongside a new iPad Pro and new iPad Air at the special “Let Loose” event on May 7th. The special event kicks off at 7AM Pacific on Tuesday.