Apple is planning a major update for its iPhone operating system, iOS 18, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. He says that the update could be the “biggest” software update in the iPhone’s history.
Gurman shared this news in the subscriber-only Q&A section of his Power On newsletter.
“I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history,” he wrote.
Although he didn’t reveal many specifics about the features of iOS 18, he mentioned plans to share more details in the future.
But there are a few changes we are already expecting on the iOS. One of the anticipated features is support for Rich Communication Services (RCS) — a messaging standard that will allow for better communication between iPhones and Android devices.
In November 2023, Apple announced its intention to support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting “later” in 2024. And the timeframe likely coincides with the launch of iOS 18.
With RCS support, iPhone users will be able to send high-resolution photos and videos, enjoy read receipts and typing indicators, and even participate in group chats with both Android and iPhone users.
Moreover, Apple is also said to be working on generative AI technology and according to Gurman it “should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences.”
Gurman notes that Apple is also exploring integrating similar AI features for various other apps, including Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, and Xcode.
Likewise, according to The Information, Apple is planning to integrate large language models into Siri, which would allow users to automate complex tasks with deeper integration into the Shortcuts app. This feature is expected to be part of an iPhone software update in 2024, likely iOS 18.
These are just a few of the rumored features that are expected to be included in iOS 18. We expect more details to be revealed soon.
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