Apple has confirmed that iOS 173 will be released next week, according to small print in a seemingly unrelated press release

Apple mentions the new Black Unity collection in its January 17 release: "New Unity Bloom iPhone and iPad wallpapers for the lock screen will also be available next week and iPhone Xs or later running iOS 173 Required" If the new wallpapers require iOS 173 to run, it stands to reason that the update will launch at the same time

Unity Bloom is the latest in a series of Black Unity wallpapers that Apple has been releasing semi-regularly for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch versions This coincides with the release of the new Black Unity Sport Band for the Apple Watch, also being released next week

Besides the new wallpapers, iOS 173 has several new features The biggest feature is the new Stolen Device Protection System, which makes it more difficult for thieves to access information on stolen phones

When Stolen Device Protection is enabled, it will no longer be possible to perform certain actions without the owner's biometric data, such as using payment information stored on the device It also adds a one-hour security delay for certain functions, such as attempting to change the phone's passcode or adding/removing Face ID or Touch ID

Finally, iOS 173 will release a collaboration list option for Apple Music subscribers This feature was originally planned for release in iOS 172, but was not released due to concerns about potential abuse Collaboration lists allow Apple users to create and share collaborative playlists and add reactions to each other's song selections

iOS 173 is not a massive or flashy addition to the iPhone, but it brings some welcome features And hopefully, it is free of the bugs that plagued the second beta

We will see more significant changes to iOS when Apple unveils iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, usually in June iOS 18 is said to include new Apple AI features and a smarter Siri