iOS
iOS 18 will be a landmark update in more ways than one
Expect iOS 18 to be different and feature-packed.
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Apple just released iOS 17.4 beta for developers with many improvements and features. However, a recent report reveals the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 18, will be a significant update, unveiling in June at WWDC 2024.
This report comes from famed Apple journalist Mark Gurman through his latest Power On newsletter.
He states Apple sees iOS 18 as “one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history.”
That will be a significant shift if iOS gets a massive overhaul. With iOS 17, we got great features like the recent stolen device protection, but the underlying operating system was still similar to its predecessor.
So, what’s causing all the commotion? AI, and the billion bucks a year Apple has reportedly been spending on it.
What’s coming with iOS 18
According to Gurman, iOS 18 could be the company’s most ambitious update in years, with major artificial intelligence features in play.
Apple’s head of software engineering, Craig Federighi, told employees last year that the operating system– codenamed Crystal–will have ambitious changes all around.
Gurman has previously reported Apple is planning multiple new AI integrations with iOS 18, including a tuned-up version of Siri, which will be more intelligent and use a large language model (LLM), just like ChatGPT.
Yes, that means Siri will no longer (hopefully) be outclassed by Google Assistant and Alexa. While we don’t know exactly what that will look like, we expect more natural interactions for a start.
In addition, the tech giant is implementing AI in the Messages app to auto-complete sentences and more. Apple Music is also getting the AI treatment for auto-generated playlists, and AI integration will come to the iWork app suite.
And let’s not forget about Apple finally jumping on the RCS train. For the uninitiated, RCS (Rich Communication Services) is set to elevate the messaging experience on our Phones, especially when interacting with Android devices.
No offense to the green bubbles, but soon, they’ll be able to enjoy the same perks as the blue bubbles, like read receipts, high-resolution media, and Wi-Fi messaging. It’s like a peace treaty in the ongoing Android vs. iOS feud.
Unfortunately, that’s the limit of our knowledge of iOS 18 and its features. But we are pretty sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, and 2024’s WWDC will be pretty interesting to watch to see how much AI is coming to iOS this year.
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