Apple users all over the world are now waiting with bated breath and crossed fingers for the launch of the latest software upgrade from Apple – the iOS 18 on June 10. As the day nears, let us discuss the features it is expected to showcase. Apart from the improved versions of the customary range of iOS features, this particular upgrade has put most emphasis on a plethora of AI features, and that has caused a buzz in the fraternity of the Apple users.
While the upgrade is likely to come up with quite a number of major new AI features it is also likely to cause some major design changes and never-before-tried customisation options. All these have quite naturally tipped the release as one of the biggest in the history of the company. In fact, pundits are of the opinion that this latest iOS avatar is going to change the way we use iPhones forever.
While some of the features will live on your iPhone in the entirety, there will be some that you will have to off-load to the cloud, regardless of Apple’s efforts to keep things as device-centric as they can be.
The Preamble
As it is no longer a secret that the iOS 18 upgrade will come with a plethora of AI features, let us delve into the topic and discuss them in detail.
Frankly speaking, Apple was pretty much caught off-guard with the sudden launch and rise in the popularity of a considerable number of AI tools like Google Bard, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and the like. However, after sustaining the initial setback, the company worked hard to come up with their version of artificial intelligence platforms. They reportedly worked on a wide spectrum of AI features for iOS, and branded them as ‘Apple Intelligent’ features.
In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook had promised that Apple has in their pipeline, plans to come up with AI features this year in a big way. In fact, he has confessed that the company has been investing a huge amount of money and time on AI technologies. So it’s no wonder that the AI features Apple are all set to raise millions of eyebrows when they are finally launched. There is no doubt that these features will be nothing short of ‘groundbreaking’.
What are the AI Features that iOS 18 is likely to consist of?
All the AI additions that Apple will introduce will be in beta capacity so that it will be possible to test them before publishing them as full features, Besides, everything will be opt-in, so that the user can decide not to use AI if they want to.
The AI features have come with functionality options running on the user’s device as well as on Apple’s own server. However, Apple is currently planning to partner with OpenAI and likely with Google to power the cloud-based generative AI features like creating images, writing essays based on prompts, summarising data and the likes. The principle AI features that the iOS 18 is likely to come up with include:
- Photo retouching option in the Photos app
- Auto-generated playlists in Apple Music
- Voice memo transcription
- Suggested replies for messages and emails
- Auto-generated emojis that are based on the content of users’ messages, along with all-new emojis designed by Apple
- Improved Safari web search
- Smart recaps for missed notifications, individual messages, news articles, web pages, notes and documents
There are rumours that the next A18 processor, which will power the iPhone 16 Pro models, would include an improved Neural Engine with considerably more cores. It is likely to enable enhanced AI/machine learning capabilities. Only Apple’s most recent iPhone models—the iPhone 15 Pro models and the impending iPhone 16 lineup—will have access to some AI features.
Apple plans to employ both OpenAI technologies and its own servers for AI. Depending on the work being performed, AI features will either employ cloud servers or on-device processing. An algorithm that determines whether to use the cloud or on-device processing will be included in iOS 18.
It will take time for Apple’s generative AI vision to completely scale, thus iOS may not include the entire range of AI functions that Apple has envisioned.
Which devices are likely to miss the AI Features?
The AI plans for Apple come in two parts – the elementary AI features that will be operational on the devices by default. and their more complex counterparts that need to connect to dedicated servers of Apple. These more complex features will put emphasis on a new version of Siri and for that the engineers had to redevelop the Siri Software system, with the use of an advanced algorithm, called Large Language Models of LLMs. The devices that will support iOS 18 would include:
iPhone SE 2 and 3 iPhone XR, iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and Pro Max iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and Pro Max iPhone 14, iPhone 14, Plus iPhone 14 Pro, and Pro Max iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
The 2018 released iPhone XR and XS, which are the oldest, will most likely receive iOS 18 in September. But it’s conceivable that hardware limitations may prevent this and other older smartphones—like the iPhone 11—from having the majority of the new AI functions.
Siri And Search
The advances in artificial intelligence that Apple is implementing in iOS 18 will help Siri. It is believed that Modern large-language models (LLMs) are being used by Apple to completely redesign Siri and transform it into the “ultimate virtual assistant.” Chat Boxes like ChatGPT are chiefly powered LLMs. Thus, Apple is going to employ algorithms to create content based on vast quantities of data that they absorb.
What features Siri will come with?
The features that Siri will come up with will come with features like:
- Option of opening specific documents
- Moving a note from one folder to another
- Moving a file between folders
- Deleting an email
- Summarising an article, recent messages and notifications
- Emailing web links
- Open a particular news site on Apple News
- Editing images
Spotlight
The built-in Spotlight search is likely to come up with increased intelligent results as well as improved sorting provision. The iPhone will be able to integrate information from various apps like Contacts and Calendar more seamlessly.
Apple is also planning to incorporate a number of AI-based photo editing features to the Photos app in iOS 18. However, these features are likely not to be as impressive as those from editing platforms like Photoshop.
So you see, there are a lot to come across in iOS 18, as and when it is to be launched. Let us keep guessing what are the other surprises that the new upgrade is likely to bring in.
For further details, you can contact our experts at Platinum Phone Repair and our learned experts will come up with more information.