iOS 18: Exciting New Features and What to Expect

The big reveal of iOS 18 at the Worldwide Developers Conference is just around the corner, and there’s already a lot of buzz about what’s coming. 

With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, Apple is expected to focus heavily on AI improvements in iOS 18.

Let’s dive into what we can expect.

Big Focus on AI

Apple is putting a lot of effort into AI for iOS 18. They’re spending over $1 billion each year on AI research and the hardware needed to support it. Apple’s goal is to catch up with AI leaders like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI. They’re planning to use AI in many ways across iOS 18, making their apps smarter and more user-friendly.

For example, in Apple Music, we might see auto-generated playlists. Apps like Pages and Keynote could get AI-assisted writing and slide creation.

Initially, these AI features will run on your device without needing cloud servers, but in the future, Apple might partner with companies like Google or OpenAI for cloud-based AI options.

New Features and Upgrades

Voice Assistant Improvements: Siri is getting a major overhaul with large-language models (LLMs) that power chatbots like ChatGPT. This will make Siri more conversational and smarter. Siri will be able to summarize notifications, transcribe voice memos, and provide better suggestions for apps and calendar events. 

There’s also talk of Siri working better with the Messages app, helping you complete sentences and answer complex questions.

Design Changes: iOS 18 is set to bring some design tweaks. There’s a rumor that it might take some inspiration from visionOS, but it won’t be a complete overhaul. One of the big changes could be a more customizable Home Screen. 

Users might get more control over how app icons are arranged, possibly adding blank spaces, rows, and columns.

App Updates Several built-in apps are expected to get updates in iOS 18:

• Safari: An “Intelligent Search” option using on-device AI to summarize web pages, and a “Web Eraser” tool to remove unwanted parts of websites.
• Apple Maps: Custom routes and possibly bringing topographic maps from watchOS to the iPhone.
• Photos: AI-based photo editing features.
• Notes: Support for recording voice memos directly in the app, with AI-generated summaries and math notation support.
• Calendar and Reminders: Integration so you can view and interact with Reminders in the Calendar app.
• Calculator: A built-in app for the iPad, with design refinements for the iPhone version and integration with the Notes app.
• Freeform: A “Scenes” feature to navigate specific sections of boards more easily.
• Apple Music: Smart song transitions and auto-generated playlists based on mood or time of day.
• Keynote, Numbers, and Pages: AI features for slide generation and text creation.

Shortcuts Shortcuts will work better with Siri, making it easier to automate complex tasks.

Health and CarPlay Updates

The Health app might get new AI features, though details are still under wraps. CarPlay is set to get more accessible with updates like voice control, color filters for color blindness, and sound recognition for notifications like car horns and sirens.

Credits: Autocar.co.uk

Better Texting with Android Users

Later in 2024, Apple will adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, improving texting between iPhones and Androids. 

This means better photo and video sharing, higher resolution, larger file sizes, audio messages, cross-platform emoji reactions, read receipts, real-time typing indicators, and more reliable group chats.

Accessibility Features

Apple has announced several new accessibility features for iOS 18:

• Reduce Motion Sickness: A new feature to help prevent motion sickness by showing visual cues that match vehicle motion.
• Eye Tracking: Navigate the iPhone or iPad using only your eyes, with AI and the front-facing camera.
• Music Haptics: The iPhone’s Taptic Engine will provide tactile feedback that matches the audio of your music.
• Vocal Shortcuts: Assign custom phrases to Siri for launching shortcuts and understanding complex tasks.

AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aid Mode

With iOS 18, the AirPods Pro are expected to get a new “hearing aid mode” through a software update. 

This mode will help increase the volume and clarity of sounds directly in front of the wearer, similar to the existing Conversation Boost feature.

Compatibility

iOS 18 will run on all iPhones that support iOS 17, including:

• All iPhone 15 models
• All iPhone 14 models
• All iPhone 13 models
• All iPhone 12 models
• All iPhone 11 models
• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)

iPadOS 18 might drop support for some older models like the first-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, as well as the sixth and seventh-generation iPads.

Launch Date

iOS 18 will be previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. After the event, it will be available to developers for testing, with a public beta likely coming out in July.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to be excited about with iOS 18. From major AI improvements to design changes and app updates, Apple is set to deliver one of its biggest software updates yet. 

Keep an eye out for the official announcement in June and get ready to explore all the new features coming your way.