San Francisco, May 25 (IANS): Apple is reportedly planning to release a new feature that will turn locked iPhones into smart home-style displays with iOS 17.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the phone's interface will display information like calendar appointments, weather, and notifications when it's locked and placed horizontally.

Gurman also mentioned that the interface will work similarly to smart home devices from Google and Amazon.

Moreover, the report mentioned that the feature will utilise a dark background and bright text combination, enhancing readability even from a distance.

While Gurman claims that Apple is working on bringing this smart home feature to the iPad, he points out that the company doesn't introduce features to iPads as quickly as it does to the iPhone, since iPhone's lock screen widgets aren't yet available on iPads.

The report further said that the tech giant is planning to introduce significant changes to the iPhone's Wallet app with iOS 17 and will add enhancements to its location services.

Meanwhile, Apple has released iOS 16.5 software update to all users with a new feature -- 'sports tab' in its News app.

The new iOS 16.5 is available for iPhone 8 and later.

The new tab serves as a hub for scores, match schedules, and articles on users' favourite sports teams.