09/09/2024 – 21:56
iOS 18, the new version of Apple’s mobile operating system, will be available for iPhones starting September 16. The main new feature of this version is Apple Intelligence, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
What is iOS?
iOS is the operating system that powers the iPhone, providing the interface, apps, and features that users are familiar with. Each new version of iOS brings performance improvements, new features, and security enhancements, keeping phones up-to-date and competitive in the smartphone market.
Which devices will receive the update?
Most recent iPhones will be compatible with iOS 18, including models starting with the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, as well as the iPhone SE (2nd generation or later). Older devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X won’t receive the update, but they’ll still work normally—they just won’t have access to the latest features and security improvements.
iOS 18 brings a series of improvements and new features to the user experience, focusing on personalization, privacy, communication and productivity. Check out the main new features and improvements to the operating system:
Apple Intelligence
The flagship feature of iOS 18, Apple Intelligence, offers AI technology that combines generative models with a user’s personal context. The tool allows users to rewrite, revise, and summarize text, create personalized images, generate movies based on memories, and remove unwanted objects from photos. Siri has also benefited from Apple Intelligence, becoming more natural, personal, and capable of understanding context, enabling interaction through text and voice.
The feature will only be available on the entire iPhone 16 lineup and the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max devices.
Customization and control
The iOS 18 Home screen has undergone a complete overhaul, allowing users to freely position apps and widgets anywhere on the screen, including leaving elements of the background image visible. The system also offers a new theming engine, with the ability to customize the look of the interface by applying colors and effects to icons and widgets, as well as theme suggestions based on the user’s wallpaper.
Control Center has also been redesigned, with multiple pages, support for third-party widgets, and options for customizing shortcuts on the lock screen. Users can now add controls from third-party apps, such as unlocking their car or quickly accessing the camera from a social network. The new controls gallery displays all available options, allowing users to customize the layout and create new groups of controls.
On the privacy front, iOS 18 introduces the “Lock an App” feature, which allows users to lock individual apps with biometric authentication, a passcode or password. The hide apps feature has also been improved, allowing apps to be hidden from search, notifications, suggestions and history. iOS 18 will also give users more control over sharing contacts and connecting to third-party accessories, ensuring that personal information remains private.
Redesigned native apps
Speaking of apps, the Photos app has undergone a major redesign, with a unified view that displays your photo grid and new collections. The new collections let you browse by topic without having to add content to albums, and you can pin them for easy access. The new carousel view includes daily highlights featuring your favorite people, pets, places, and moments.
Email has introduced new ways to manage your inbox, with automatic sorting into categories such as Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions. The new summary view groups relevant emails from the same company, making it easier to find important information.
Safari has added Highlights, which uses machine learning to identify important information on web pages, such as article summaries, locations and music tracks. Reading mode has also been redesigned, offering more options for distraction-free reading, including a summary and table of contents for long texts.
Other resources
Maps: new topographical visuals, access to trails in US national parks, create custom hiking routes, and Places Library to save favorite locations.
Game Mode: optimizes gaming performance, with more consistent frame rates and better responsiveness from wireless accessories.
Apple Pay: new payment options, such as redeeming points and installments, and Tap to Cash to send and receive money using proximity.
Portfolio: tickets with additional event information, such as stadium details and Apple Music playlists.
SharePlay on Apple Music: sharing control of music playback across compatible devices.
Daily: new application for recording experiences and reflections, with integration with the Health app and audio transcription.
Calendar: Integration with the Reminders app to display events and tasks together.
Health: Redesigned Medical ID, pregnancy information and Emergency SOS Live Video to share videos in emergency calls.
Home: guest access, door opening with digital keys and information on energy consumption.
Accessibility: Eye Tracking for navigation with your eyes, Music Haptics for people with hearing impairments and Vocal Shortcuts for performing tasks with voice commands.
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