Yearly, Apple pronounces the brand new model of iOS on the Worldwide Builders Convention in June. It then enters a beta testing telephones (first for builders solely, then for the general public) earlier than being launched in September, across the time the brand new iPhones go on sale.
We don’t anticipate the method or timeline to vary this 12 months, however that’s about the one factor we will rely on being the identical as years previous. In relation to iOS 18 itself—it’s options and adjustments—the rumors and leaks level to what may be one of the crucial consequential iPhone software program updates in years.
What follows is a abstract of rumors and leaks, however keep in mind that the ultimate product could not fairly resemble what you learn right here. Details about upcoming Apple merchandise is commonly unreliable, and even when it’s correct, plans change. That mentioned, that is what we predict we all know to this point.
Up to date 03/11/24: MacRumors stories of a number of new accessibility options coming to iOS 18 this fall, together with Adaptive Voice Shortcuts, classes for Stay Speech, and customized font dimension help for extra purposes (in macOS).
iOS 18 launch date: When will iOS 18 arrive?
For the final 10 years or so, the brand new model of iOS has been launched in September, sometimes within the second or third week. We haven’t heard something to recommend this 12 months will likely be any totally different, so listed here are the final 5 years of launch dates for reference:
- iOS 17: September 18, 2023
- iOS 16: September 12, 2022
- iOS 15: September 20, 2021
- iOS 14: September 16, 2020
- iOS 13: September 19, 2019
Previous to its basic launch, Apple will make a developer beta obtainable instantly after the WWDC keynote in June adopted by a public beta in early July. It’s going to undergo a number of betas—with some options being added, modified, and dropped—earlier than the primary launch in September.
iOS 18 compatibility: Which iPhones will get iOS 18?
We haven’t heard any particular rumors about which gadgets will likely be suitable with iOS 18, however the prevailing assumption is that each one the telephones that received iOS 17 will get iOS 18. Which means every little thing from the iPhone XR and XS or 2nd-generation iPhone SE up via the iPhone 15, and naturally, the iPhone 16 that will likely be launched this fall. Here’s a checklist of all of the iPhones that help iOS 17:
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Professional, iPhone 15 Professional Max
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Professional, iPhone 14 Professional Max
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Professional, iPhone 13 Professional Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Professional, iPhone 12 Professional Max
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Professional, iPhone 11 Professional Max
- iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE(2nd gen or later)
It’s seemingly that a number of the coolest new options won’t be supported on the older telephones, as a result of they lack the {hardware} mandatory (a powerful-enough Neural Engine or GPU to run AI stuff, or sufficient RAM). That is typical of latest iOS releases.
iOS 18 options: The largest iOS replace…ever?
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported extensively on iOS 18 growth, and claimed in his Energy On publication that, “the brand new working system is seen throughout the firm as one of many largest iOS updates — if not the most important — within the firm’s historical past.”
There will likely be main new AI options, we anticipate numerous bold updates and adjustments past simply stuffing AI into every little thing.
An all-new Siri
Probably the most seen theme of iOS 18 is claimed to be AI. Particularly, generative AI, which Apple has been sluggish to convey to market whereas merchandise like ChatGPT, Bard, CoPilot, Dall-E, Steady Diffusion, and others have taken the tech world by storm.
There was an enormous push inside Apple to construct a generative AI know-how stack, and we’ve seen Apple publish papers on a variety of subjects like a brand new massive language mannequin known as Ajax, object reference known as Ferret, new speech recognition fashions, and way more.
Siri is claimed to be getting a giant “Generative AI” overhaul, utilizing new massive language fashions and different superior AI to take it to the following degree.
AI in every single place
Siri’s not the one place Apple is claimed to be incorporating new superior AI. We don’t have all the main points but, however Apple is claimed to have an edit to convey superior AI options to as lots of its merchandise as it might probably. Apple Music playlist era is one oft-cited space, and so is code era in Xcode, AI options in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and extra.
Apple is predicted to observe a hybrid strategy, performing many AI duties on-device for higher privateness, safety, and responsiveness, but in addition using cloud-based AI for greater duties that may’t run on an iPhone. And there’s a cause to imagine that Apple might dive into the generative AI pool as properly
RCS help
Late in 2023, Apple introduced what gave the impression to be the unthinkable: RCS help is coming to iPhone. Sure, Messages will nonetheless be a lock-in for default texting and no, iMessage isn’t going wherever. However the “inexperienced bubbles” will likely be RCS not SMS, when texting with different RCS-supporting gadgets.
The catch? It’s not coming till “later in 2024” which just about definitely means iOS 18, if not iOS 18.1 or 18.2. When it arrives, you’ll lastly get issues like learn reciepts, full-size photos and video, typing indicators, and extra once you ship messages to individuals with Android telephones.
New accessibility options
In line with MacRumors, Apple is planning no less than three new accessibility options for iOS 18.
Adaptive Voice Shortcuts will let customers activate or off particular accessibility options utilizing a customized phrase.
Stay Speech, which lets customers sort what they wish to say and have it learn out loud on cellphone calls or video conferences, will get the power so as to add saved phrases to classes.
The report lists 5 macOS apps that may get help for customized font sizes, although the font dimension characteristic works in another way in iOS and this can be restricted to macOS.
Imaginative and prescient Professional affect
Apple’s visionOS interface introduces quite a lot of new interface components, most notably round dwelling display icons. A rumor from the Israeli information website The Verifier claims “Apple is engaged on bringing components from the visionOS working system of the Imaginative and prescient Professional glasses into the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates.” That would imply big adjustments are coming to iOS—in spite of everything, it’s been greater than a decade since tha final main redesign shook issues up in iOS 17.
