With AI inching closer and closer above our heads day by day, it has been rumored by several sources that the new iOS 18 update will be one of the most if not the most revolutionary updates for iPhone, with Apple rumored to be spending big money on AI servers, and feature development.
Let’s look over some of the features that are rumored to come with the update fairly soon, with the date of the update speculated to be around September 2024. With that said, the next WWDC conference is rumored to be held in June of 2024. The iOS 18 update is supposed to be compatible with all devices supporting the iOS 17 update, that being said like last year, Apple might drop support for the 2018 range of iPhones, namely; iPhone XR, Xs, and Xs Max.
- Beginning with the most exciting feature is the introduction of AI into a range of built-in apps, like the voice assistant Siri, Messages, Notes, and Camera apps, with supposed system-wide integration which will alter the way we use the OS in our daily routine, as revealed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. That being said, the full AI integration is rumored to be only supported by iPhone 16 and later, according to @Tech_Reve on X. This suggests the feature might need dedicated hardware that will power this new addition.
- Apple recently acquired Darwin AI for its compatibility technology, which allows AI models to be decreased and optimized to work on different ranges of devices. The AI technology itself is due to be licensed from Google, namely, their Gemini AI engine, which is to be integrated into iOS 18, according to Bloomberg. The rumors involve other important AI companies, Open AI and Baidu, which are also supposedly in talks with Apple representatives, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal respectively. Although Apple already has developed several AI models themselves, they are most likely looking for an experienced partner that will do the “heavy lifting of generative AI, including functions of creating images and writing essays based on simple prompts” as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said in his investigation on the topic of the iOS 18 update.
- Another life-changing addition for iOS users is the new rumored changes on the home screens of your iPhones, with it stating that Apple is looking to reimagine how we interact with our home screens. This rumor regarding the home screen changes comes from Bloomberg. With that said, we could expect iOS to replicate the look and feel of visionOS, although it might be unlikely.
- Despite previous doubts that RCS will ever come to the iOS platform; it has recently come to us that Apple is looking to implement RCS into iOS 18 sometime during 2024. This was previously reported on by 9to5Mac in November 2023, so despite this not being new news, this is something a lot of us have definitely forgotten about.
- Additionally, the built-in accessibility features within iOS will receive the so-called “Adaptive Voice Shortcuts”, which MacRumors claims will allow users to vocally select their accessibility features with unique phrases.
Users are also hoping to see updates from last year that are yet to be released worldwide to finally go live across the globe, namely Live Voicemail, which until this day is available only on the US and Canadian territory.
As a round-up of all these features and news, we have an exciting update ahead of us with lots of new features and accessibilities, which we hope are to be announced by Apple very soon!
Which features are you looking forward to seeing on your iPhone? Let us know down in the comments or tweet to us on @appleosophy! Be sure to download the Appleosophy App from the App Store or visit our website to stay updated with the latest Apple news!
Author: Sasha Aryku
Sasha 'Oleksandr' Aryku, a UK based independent journalist, with interest in technology, music and humanitarianism. Professional photographer, videographer, and student at the University for the Creative Arts.
