Yearly, Apple publicizes the brand new model of iOS on the Worldwide Builders Convention in June. It then enters a beta testing interval (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 alter this yr, however that’s about the one factor we are able to depend on being the identical as years previous. On the subject of iOS 18 itself—its options and modifications—the rumors and leaks level to what could 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 stated, that is what we predict we all know thus far.
Up to date March 18: Apple is reportedly in discussions with Google about together with its Gemini AI in iOS 18, and has had discussions up to now with OpenAI.
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 counsel this yr shall be any completely different, so listed below 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 common launch, Apple will make a developer beta accessible instantly after the WWDC keynote in June adopted by a public beta in early July. It is going to undergo a number of betas—with some options being added, modified, and dropped—earlier than the principle launch in September.
iOS 18 compatibility: Which iPhones will get iOS 18?
We haven’t heard any particular rumors about which units shall be suitable with iOS 18, however the prevailing assumption is that each one the telephones that acquired iOS 17 will get iOS 18. Meaning the whole lot from the iPhone XR and XS or 2nd-generation iPhone SE up by the iPhone 15, and naturally, the iPhone 16 that shall be launched this fall. Here’s a listing 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 probably that a few of the coolest new options won’t be supported on the older telephones, as a result of they lack the {hardware} mandatory (a robust sufficient Neural Engine or GPU to run AI stuff, or sufficient RAM). That is typical of recent iOS releases.
iOS 18 options: The most important iOS replace…ever?
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported extensively on iOS 18 improvement, and claimed in his Energy On publication that, “the brand new working system is seen inside the firm as one of many greatest iOS updates — if not the largest — within the firm’s historical past.”
There shall be main new AI options, we anticipate numerous bold updates and modifications past simply stuffing AI into the whole lot.
An all-new Siri
Essentially the most seen theme of iOS 18 is claimed to be AI. Particularly, generative AI, which Apple has been sluggish to carry 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 expertise stack, and we’ve seen Apple publish papers on quite a lot 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 an enormous “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 small print but, however Apple is claimed to have an edit to carry superior AI options to as lots of its merchandise as it will possibly. 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 anticipated to comply with a hybrid method, 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 consider that Apple might dive into the generative AI pool as effectively, with numerous gen-AI analysis printed by Apple researchers not too long ago.
In March, it was reported that Apple is speaking with Google about together with its Gemini AI in iOS 18, although in what capability, no one actually is aware of.
RCS help
Late in 2023, Apple introduced what appeared 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” shall be RCS not SMS, when texting with different RCS-supporting units.
The catch? It’s not coming till “later in 2024” which nearly definitely means iOS 18, if not iOS 18.1 or 18.2. When it arrives, you’ll lastly get issues like learn receipts, full-size pictures and movies, typing indicators, and extra while you ship messages to individuals with Android telephones.
New accessibility options
In response to MacRumors, Apple is planning a number of new accessibility options for iOS 18, together with Adaptive Voice Shortcuts, which is able to let customers activate or off particular accessibility options utilizing a customized phrase, and Reside Speech, which lets customers kind what they need to say and have it learn out loud on cellphone calls or video conferences, will get the flexibility so as to add saved phrases to classes.
The report additionally lists 5 macOS apps that may get help for customized font sizes, although since font sizes work in a different way in iOS, this characteristic could also be restricted to macOS.
Imaginative and prescient Professional affect
Apple’s visionOS interface introduces various new interface parts, most notably round residence display icons. A rumor from the Israeli information web site The Verifier claims “Apple is engaged on bringing parts from the visionOS working system of the Imaginative and prescient Professional glasses into the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates.” That might imply large modifications are coming to iOS—in any case, it’s been greater than a decade because the final main redesign shook issues up in iOS 17.
