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iOS 18 is Apple’s next big annual update, and it’s expected to roll out some major updates powered by artificial intelligence.
Yes, rumors are already flying about iOS 18, the theoretical successor to last year’s iOS 17 update. I say “theoretically” because Apple hasn’t talked about it publicly yet, but you can rest assured that it will almost certainly be released sometime this year. When it happens, it may or may not be a complete overhaul of the iOS experience (more on that later).
Here’s everything we know about iOS 18 so far.
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Latest iOS 18 news:
iOS 18 release date
Even without confirmation from Apple, we can safely assume that iOS 18 will be released in September, around the same time as the equally unconfirmed iPhone 16.
that is because Every The new version of iOS will be released in September, almost at the same time as the new iPhone. Unlike MacBook and iPad, iOS release dates are easy to determine.
iOS 18: Everything we know so far, including AI features
Bloomberg’s Well-known Apple forecaster Mark Gurman reported in January that iOS 18 would be one of the “biggest” updates in iOS history. As mentioned earlier, artificial intelligence will be at the forefront of these updates. While some AI features will run on-device, others will rely on cloud servers.
According to MacRumors, Apple will not develop its own chatbot. Instead, it will reportedly rely on an existing popular chatbot – most likely OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Speaking of assistants, let’s review iOS 18 rumors with Siri.
Xili
According to Gurman, Siri is expected to have some artificial intelligence integration that will allow it to “control all functions within an app for the first time.”
Siri could get a boost from artificial intelligence
Credit: Apple
In other words, Siri, powered by a new Large Language Model (LLM), will reportedly allow the assistant to:
This would be a big deal because Siri’s functionality is notoriously limited to broader macro commands (e.g., play a music playlist, control smart home devices, etc.). However, with this new AI-driven update, Siri can fulfill user requests with greater granularity.
However, Gurman said that this new and improved Siri is expected to land on the iPhone and then the iPad sometime next year.
RCS messaging standard
Beyond that, the best prediction we can make for iOS 18 is that texting with Android users will likely be a better experience.
Credit: Apple
This is because Apple has confirmed that it will adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard starting this year.
As MacRumors points out, this means you should see the following improvements between iOS and Android devices:
We also expect to see improvements to group chats between iPhone and Android phones.
message
Messaging apps are expected to automatically suggest responses to text messages, Gurman said. (The Mail app will reportedly get the same functionality.)
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In addition, users can also get emojis generated by artificial intelligence.
Credit: Apple
In other words, you can generate your own emojis based on your conversations, rather than being limited by the current emoji combinations. It’s also worth noting that we may see a new batch of emojis in iOS 18, including an eyebag character.
Mix and match speed of light
Safari
According to Forbes, Safari will have two prominent features: smart search and web eraser.
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Smart search – Based on LL.M., Safari will be able to identify key terms and topics in web pages, allowing Safari to summarize them, according to Forbes.
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web eraser – Safari browser has built-in ad blocking function
Forbes notes that publishers may be concerned about Web Eraser because it could hinder their advertising revenue.
Accessibility functions: eye tracking, music haptics, etc.
iOS 18 is reportedly getting some enhancements in the area of accessibility, including settings to better support your vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive needs.
The first is a live presentation. The perk, which lets you type what you want to say before reading it aloud, is getting a new “category” feature, MacRumors reports.
With this new feature, you now have the option to organize frequently used or favorite phrases into categories of your choice.
Second, Apple is rumored to be rolling out “Adaptive Voice Shortcuts,” which will let you map custom phrases to specific accessibility features. So if you speak a specific custom phrase, you should be able to activate the accessibility feature it is linked to.
Credit: Apple
It turns out that this rumor is true. On May 15, Apple published a new post in Newsroom discussing the new “Voice Shortcuts” feature, which is the official name of the above-mentioned feature.
However, one of the most exciting features is eye tracking.
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Yes, you read that right: eye tracking. In other words, users can now control their iPhone with their eyes. This feature is powered by artificial intelligence and designed for users with disabilities. “Eye tracking uses the front-facing camera to set up and calibrate in seconds,” Apple said.
It’s worth noting that this feature uses on-device machine learning, so your data stays safe and isn’t shared with Apple.
Apple also introduced a feature called “Music Touch” in iOS 18.
Credit: Apple
For users who are hard of hearing, Music Touch adds percussions, textures and vibrations consistent with the audio, allowing users to experience music in new and more advanced ways.
Settings and Control Center
Gurman said in a tweet in late May that Settings was being redesigned to make the app more organized and easier to navigate.
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Additionally, the control center is being updated, but Gurman did not specify the changes.
apple map
According to MacRumors, iOS 18 will bring two new features to Apple Maps:
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Customized route
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topographic map
Custom routing allows users to choose a path of their own choosing before navigating from point A to point B, a feature already supported by Google Maps.
Credit: Apple
Topographic maps have made their debut on Apple Watch with watchOS 10, allowing users to view more detailed maps, including contours, trails, elevations, and more.
photo app
To compete with the dazzling photo editing capabilities of the likes of Samsung and Google, Apple will introduce some editing features based on artificial intelligence.
Credit: Apple
However, Gurman warned Apple fans should temper their expectations: “These features won’t impress anyone who has used artificial intelligence in Adobe Inc. apps over the past few months,” he said.
note taking app
According to an exclusive report by AppleInsider, the Notes app will have two new features in iOS 18:
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Built-in recording support
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“Math Notes,” a feature that leverages Apple Calculator
Digging deeper into the new features, the Notes app in iOS 18 is reportedly getting an in-app recording feature. Users may have the option to add images and text to these voice notes. For example, students can record lectures and add screenshots of their lectures to the audio capture.
There’s also a so-called new “Math Notes” feature. AppleInsider says: “The update may introduce support for displaying mathematical symbols, which are essential shorthand for academic, scientific, and engineering applications.”
More customizable home screen
Historically, Apple hasn’t really allowed iPhone home screen customization to roam freely beyond giving users the ability to move icons around. But according to MacRumors, Apple may roll out a home screen update in iOS 18, and users will reportedly get more freedom in the arrangement of icons — and the lock screen may also change, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman More customization occurs.
AirPods “hearing aid mode”
With the release of iOS 18, Gurman claims that AirPods Pro will get a new “hearing aid mode.”
Photo credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
Keep in mind that AirPods Pro already have a conversation enhancement feature that improves clarity from the speaker directly in front of the user. However, Apple is reportedly planning a minor upgrade to its earbuds.
iOS 18 expected to be released at WWDC 2024 in June. Stay tuned for Mashable’s coverage of the highly anticipated Apple event.
