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This year’s WWDC dates have been set, and the countdown to the first official announcement of iOS 18 has begun in earnest. We’re used to seeing previews of upcoming software updates at Apple’s annual developer conference. But given all the hype surrounding iOS 18, WWDC 2024 has special expectations.
Specifically, iOS 18 marks Apple’s first concerted effort to include a wide range of artificial intelligence-powered features. And this change has convinced some people that iOS 18 is going to be pretty big. In an addendum to a January 2024 column detailing Apple’s content, Bloomberg’s Mark Garman wrote, “The new operating system is considered internally to be one of the biggest iOS updates, if not the biggest, in the company’s history.” I heard that there are.” In store.
Potential AI features are certainly driving a lot of that feeling, but there could be more to iOS 18 than that. The software appears to have received some interface updates, and we can expect the usual parade of enhancements and updates to existing apps.
WWDC may feature the first look at new iPhone software, but it won’t be the final word on iOS 18. A public beta is expected to roll out in the summer, giving the more daring public a chance. Try new features. It all leads up to the full release of iOS 18 later this year, likely just before the iPhone 16 models arrive.
that’s right. That’s why people are excited about iOS 18 long before Apple’s preview. Let’s take a closer look at nine potential changes this update brings to your iPhone.
New version of Siri
iOS updates typically bring new skills to Siri, allowing the digital assistant to answer more questions without relying on the dreaded “I found it online” response. Siri’s performance has gotten more reliable over the years, and the way she speaks and conducts conversations seems to have gotten noticeably more natural in recent years. But iOS 18 could take Apple’s digital assistant to the next level.
Specifically, there was talk that Siri 2.0 would debut at WWDC as part of iOS 18. Initially, this virtual assistant update was seen as Apple’s attempt at a chatbot, but subsequent reports shot down the idea that Apple would offer a chatbot. of itself. (These reports leave open the possibility that Apple could use another company’s chatbot. Apple and Google are in talks about somehow incorporating the latter’s Gemini tools into his iPhone.) There were also reports.)
Chatbot or not, rumors about iOS 18’s Siri update suggest that Siri will become more conversational and capable of handling complex tasks. Certainly, the number of acquisitions and job openings Apple has in this space suggests something is afoot. You’ll have to wait for the iOS 18 preview to see the scope of the changes coming to Siri.
Generative AI now available in embedded apps
Artificial intelligence is expected to come to iOS 18 in other ways, including generative AI that powers new features in your favorite apps. A Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman gives specific examples of how AI can help iPhone users auto-generate playlists in the Music app or auto-generate slides in the Keynote presentation tool. The Spotlight search feature is also reportedly trained on a large-scale language model, and with Apple adding summarization and formatting features to Notes and Safari, he’s taking a page out of Samsung’s Galaxy AI playbook. It may be taken up.
Apple hasn’t hidden the fact that generative AI is getting a lot of attention. “Later this year, we will explore how we are pioneering new frontiers in generative AI, another technology we believe can redefine the future,” CEO Tim Cook said at the February shareholder meeting. I look forward to sharing it with everyone.” This timing lines up nicely with the iOS 18 preview.
RCS support
Here’s what we actually know Apple plans to add at some point: We’re just assuming it debuts as part of iOS 18.
We’re talking about the RCS (Rich Communication Services) standard here. Apple announced late last year that it would provide RCS support through a software update at some point in 2024. If that happens, which we imagine will happen through iOS 18, it should improve messaging between iPhone and Android users.
As a reminder, the green bubble that acts as a divide between Android and iOS and is cited in federal antitrust lawsuits is not going anywhere, and Apple’s iMessage app continues to offer a premium iPhone chat experience. will continue to provide. However, RCS support adds things like input indicators and read receipts for cross-platform communication.
Customize your home screen
There’s been talk that iOS 18 will bring major changes to the look of Apple’s iPhone software, but so far not many specifics have been revealed. One exception comes from another Mark Gurman dispatch: iOS 18 will allow users to better customize the appearance of their home screen.
You can now change your iPhone’s home screen wallpaper and rearrange which apps appear on which screens and in what order. With the 2020 iOS 14 update, you can now also add widgets to your home screen. But the whole time you’re glued to a 6 x 4 grid of rows and columns of app icons.
Customization features in iOS 18 will reportedly give you more control over where your app icons can be placed, allowing you to leave gaps and empty spaces wherever you want. We suspect there’s more to this change than what we’ve heard so far, but the increased flexibility in app placement seems like a step in the right direction.
Custom routes for maps
Not all updates coming to iOS 18 will be AI-focused. Some enhancements will be of the old-school variety. This means that it simply adds new features to existing apps and improves the way they work. The same goes for Maps, which already has some improvements planned for iOS 18.
What most people will be excited about is the ability to customize your route when getting directions in Maps. This feature was discovered in some code of the app. We’ll have to wait for Apple’s official explanation, but it looks like you’ll be able to specify directions when planning your route.
For example, when I’m planning a road trip, Maps and I have completely different ideas about how to get to the closest freeway on-ramp from our home. My guess is that you won’t have to ignore Maps for that part of your journey, and you’ll be able to customize your route along the streets you want to drive on, rather than the roads Apple deems are fastest. This feature can also be useful if you have specific points of interest you want to stop at that aren’t needed on your map app’s preferred route.
topographic map
Topographic maps, a feature already supported in watchOS 10, may also come to iPhone. This is also based on code discovered in the operating system and is expected to be enabled with the iOS 18 update. Additionally, this feature may also be added to the Maps app with updates to macOS and visionOS.
Topographic maps show things like elevation and trails, so it makes sense to enable it on your Apple Watch first. But since the iPhone version of Maps has walking directions and fitness apps track steps, it seems like a natural thing to extend this feature to iOS.
Accessibility features
MacRumors has obtained early information about accessibility improvements planned for iOS 18 (and now the next version of macOS). The highlight seems to be adaptive voice shortcuts that allow you to control certain accessibility settings using unique phrases. For those who struggle with the touch interface, it should make navigating the iPhone much easier.
But MacRumors’ sources say the accessibility improvements go beyond that. Live Speech enhancements will reportedly improve phrase organization tools and expand support for apps like Books, News, Stocks, Tips, Weather, and more with adjustable text size features.
Hearing aid mode for AirPods Pro users
While we’re talking about accessibility features, iOS 18 will also add features that will make AirPods Pro even more valuable for people who are hard of hearing. A report from Bloomberg teases the possibility of a hearing aid mode coming to iOS 18. This feature will work with the second generation model of AirPods Pro wireless earbuds, provided Apple clears the appropriate regulations.
Extensive iPhone support
Every year, one of the most stressful moments at WWDC is finding out which phones can support new iOS updates. Apple’s support is pretty generous, extending iOS and security updates for at least five years, but that doesn’t stop you from hearing about all the great new features coming to your iPhone and knowing you have to upgrade your old one. It’s not painful. device.
If now-deleted information about iPhone support is to be believed, there could be some good news for iOS 18. Presumably, this software update will work on all iPhones that can run iOS 17, going back to the iPhone XR and iPhone XS models released in 2018, as well as the 2020 and 2022 versions of the iPhone SE.
Not all of these mobile phones can support all features. For example, we’ve heard that some of the more demanding AI features may be limited to iPhone 16 models, and other features in iOS 18 going forward may require more modern silicon. No one knows. Still, if you can get another year out of your iPhone, that’s cause for celebration.
Outlook for iOS 18
Note that software leaks are usually harder to come by than hints about what’s coming to the next iPhone. That’s because Apple keeps its software work in-house, so its overly chatty third-party suppliers aren’t spilling the beans about upcoming specs.
To put it another way, we’ve gotten a pretty good handle on some of the new features in iOS 18, but WWDC is still over two months away. It’s not clear whether iOS 18 will be as important as everyone thinks, so expect more details to leak about upcoming iPhone software updates.
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