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Like clockwork, Apple will be announcing its latest software at WWDC 2024 in June, including the long-awaited iOS 18 update. And, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Garman, Apple views iOS 18 as “one of the biggest iOS updates, if not the biggest, in the company’s history.”
Apple may think this way about each version of iOS, but the rumors we’ve heard are that iOS 18 will be more accessible, customizable, and packed with quality of life improvements. There’s certainly a lot of hype, and if this is true, iOS 18 will be one of the best versions yet. Significant iOS updates in recent years.
Here’s everything we know so far about iOS 18, its rumored release date and which devices could receive the update with new features.
the latest news
release date
Apple releases new iOS versions around the same time every year, and there’s no reason to expect the rumored iOS 18 update to deviate from this pattern. iOS 18 is likely to debut at the WWDC 2024 event, which we know will be held from June 10th to 14th.
The general availability of iOS 18 will likely coincide with the launch of iPhone 16, which is rumored to be around September 2024. From June to September, Apple plans to release a beta version of iOS 18 to developers for testing and tweaking their apps, and then release the beta version to the general public. public.
Potentially supported devices
Rumor has it that Apple may roll out the iOS 18 update to all iPhones currently running iOS 17. Therefore, iOS 18 may not end support for other iPhones other than those that were not supported in last year’s update.
Here are all the iPhones reported to be eligible for iOS 18:
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR
RCS messaging standard
One of the best features coming to iPhone through iOS 18 is support for the RCS messaging standard. It has been thought for years that the iPhone doesn’t support RCS because it’s less secure than iMessage, and when asked about RCS messaging by a reporter, Tim Cook said, “Buy your mom an iPhone.” After some disappointing announcements, Apple is finally supporting RCS messages from Android phones. With iOS 18 update.
And this isn’t even a rumor. The RCS text protocol is definitely coming to all iPhones that can receive the iOS 18 update.
With RCS support, iPhone users can finally send videos to Android users without compression. As a result, the video will appear pixelated or distorted. Conversations between an iPhone user and his Android user will also now show typing indicators and read receipts. However, one big feature that hasn’t changed is iMessage’s green text bubble for Android users.
Accessibility features
As with most iOS updates, the iOS 18 update may add additional accessibility features. According to MacRumors, industry sources have revealed three new accessibility features for iOS 18.
- Adaptive voice shortcuts: This feature allows users to create “unique audio phrases” and tie them to accessibility settings.
- New Categories section for Live Speech: iOS 17 debuted the Live Speech feature, and iOS 18 is reportedly set to expand on this feature by adding a new user-created categories section where users can organize their desired phrases.
- Customize font size in more apps: Apple may expand support for adjustable text size in apps in iOS 18 and macOS 15. This means users can customize font sizes for more individual apps.
With the iOS 18 update, AirPods Pro may be able to double up as a hearing aid. Bloomberg’s Mark Garman says AirPods Pro could get “major new hearing aid modes,” but will they be classified as official FDA-approved hearing aids or personal sound amplification products? It is not yet clear whether it will be classified as such. FDA approval required.
AI function
Apple is preparing to enter the AI race in a big way, and one of its first big forays into generative AI could be with iOS 18. While Google, Microsoft, and Meta have ostensibly dabbled in generative AI for years, Apple has been quietly developing it. We made a ton of AI business acquisitions and took a slow, methodical approach to AI.
We’ve been hearing rumors of Apple GPT since early last year, and there’s a good chance this AI chatbot will be built into Siri rather than being used to replace it completely. If this is true, WWDC 2024 could see the debut of a massively upgraded AI-powered Siri (Siri 2.0).
In addition to the possibility of an improved virtual assistant, iOS 18 could feature an AI code named Ajax that was first seen in the iOS 17.4 beta. This Ajax code is reportedly useful for summarizing content or answering complex questions, and could potentially integrate with multiple iOS apps, including Apple Music, Keynote, Pages, and Messages.
Note that older iPhones that received the iOS update may not be able to take advantage of all the rumored AI features due to incompatible hardware. The iPhone 16 may have onboard hardware that enhances its AI capabilities, but older iPhones may only have basic cloud-based AI capabilities in iOS 18.
More customizable home screen
One of the biggest differences between Android smartphones and iPhones is the amount of customization available on the home screen. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (via TechRadar) in the paywall section of the Power On newsletter, iOS 18 will finally introduce the “more customizable” home screen that iPhone users have been wanting for a while.
Gurman didn’t elaborate much on this claim, but MacRumors said the customization enhancements include the ability to place app icons anywhere on the home screen, “blank spaces between app icons, lines, etc.” It claims that it may include the ability to create columns.
Outlook
So far, it looks like iOS 18 is shaping up to be a significant update. Rumored to be an AI-heavy operating system, many AI features won’t reach their full potential unless you use iOS 18 on your next iPhone 16.
We’re most excited about the addition of RCS messaging standard support, a feature confirmed for iOS 18, and the possibility of finally being able to customize the iPhone home screen, a luxury Android users have enjoyed for years. I am. And we’ll just have to wait a few months until WWDC 2024 in June for iOS 18 to officially debut.
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