First this is a speculation thread. However the timer DOES should what time its going off (not sure why that would be important tho) Just click on the timer and BAM there it is. And how was your iPhone not functional before that a simple change to a timer would make it worse?
iOS 16 and all prior versions:
Let’s say for example, I say “hey Siri wake me up in 45 minutes”
Then, Siri responds, for example, “here’s your alarm for 7:53”, explicitly stating the time it will go off, both audibly and visually, and presenting me with a switch that gives me the option to turn off that alarm, or turn it back on if I’m feeling indecisive.
Since I also know exactly what time it will go off, I will know if my 45 minute estimate was off and in need of adjustment.
All of this is immediate and summoned only with one simple user friendly prompt.
iOS 17:
“Hey Siri, wake me up in 45 minutes”
Instead of being presented with the time, I am presented with a countdown from 45 minutes, as if I needed to be reminded about the quantity of time that JUST came out of my mouth.
I am presented with an option to disable the alarm, however pressing it immediately dismisses the Siri conversation, instead of leaving it on the screen for me to decide when I am done interacting with that timer.
The exact time the alarm is set to go off is still a mystery to me at this point. I now have to tap the alarm (now this is no longer a passive request, as it requires interaction) now I am presented with another screen, having been booted out of whatever I was already doing (if I was even in the middle of looking at/using the phone in the first place) and I have to press that timer again to be taken to yet another screen after that, at which point I am finally shown that the alarm will go off at 7:53 AM. Now I can choose to keep this alarm or disable it, at which point I will have to ask Siri to make another alarm and start this song and dance all over again.
How is any of this an improvement?
