iOS 18 Potentially 'Biggest' Software Update in iPhone's History

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I just hope Apple uses AI in a meaningful way because, in my view at least, the implementation of Siri has been poor. It’s clearly built upon a very basic language model that has prevented it from regular development.

Meaningful means it has long term benefits, and isn’t just part of a fad or trend. And I think that’s a very difficult accomplishment even with how bad Siri is today.

Perhaps a step in the right direction is just getting the basic things right - even getting a song that I want played to actually play. It’s maddening that some songs play fine, then others don’t for no apparent reason.

 

[MisterMillz]

Good updates, but nothing I would call “big” or the “the biggest” in iOS history.

I would like to see:
1. Theme store
2. Manual icon placement
3. RCS support
4. 2 apps - multitasking
5. Side loading across the board

 

[Treq]

I hope they fix everything they messed up in the ios7 update. The calendar is still awful.

 

[ifxf]

A ground breaking feature (at least for ios) would be updates to apple apps independent of the OS.

 

[Totorotarrot]

Neither reported change belongs to a list called “biggest change in history”. RCS message is basically providing feature parity to every other chat app. Siri—no one cares. When you want to claim biggest change in history, at minimum I expect a complete overhaul of the UI, something novel, creatively, intuitive, and never thought of. Maybe have a command line interface that’s easy to use from a phone? Maybe a theme UI? Maybe you can access your entire phone desktop/app/ui remotely from iCloud, like a Remote Desktop or virtual instance?

 

[Eric_WVGG]

Coincidentally, I was going over some old reviews of iOS 7 last night, which I think most people would agree was the hugest release to date (bottom-to-top redesign, and a not modest number of big new features like AirDrop). Tough to imagine a release comparing to that.

And yeah, the AI stuff could be significant, but "biggest update in history" big? Nobody likes talking to AIs that much… like, Android has a better voice assistant, but I don't see or hear about Android users actually caring about it.

But then I got to thinking about the dynamic island, which was a feature that relied on a new hardware feature. I do wonder if there's some new hardware quirk they're keeping quiet that's a similarly big deal… what if they figured out some way to detect finger hover using a static field? That would be a far-reaching capability, might even re-open the doors to 3D Touch (which was good! reintroduce it as an iOS right-click!).

Dunno, but mark me as a skeptic about this AI stuff.

 

[fwmireault]

This is again the time of the year where I hope we will get a universal notifications center, and that dismissing a specific notification on one device will dismiss it on all other devices that get it.

 

[picpicmac]

Imagine taking Gurman's prognostications of subjective impressions as something real....

 

[TigerNike23]

If they really care about RCS, they’ll not drop support for any devices.

Unless they come up with some BS about processor power required for RCS.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Maybe you can access your entire phone desktop/app/ui remotely from iCloud, like a Remote Desktop or virtual instance?

I wish they would expand Sidecar in the manner you describe. Apps on each device where it just launches into whichever devices UI.

 

[Tagbert]

Siri and rcs updates doesn’t make it the biggest, we need a whole re design and new way to use the phone

Relax, people always take these early statements about features in the new OS as meaning that those are the only new features or changes. It’s never true. There are always other new features and changes to existing ones.

 

[mrr]

So far it doesn’t sound so great.

 

[1129846]

Same head line as last year and the year before that. Only change is the iOS version number.

Basically same song and dance as every year.

 

[Tagbert]

This has been a point of contention for so long that it’s starting to look like a clandestine vector of entry for law enforcement. With the advent of Face ID it’s completely redundant in any other context.

What does the camera icon have to do with law enforcement? It doesn’t open the phone or give you access to files or previously snapped photos. It might let the cop take a selfie with you are you are being arrested but that’s about it.

 

[nottorp]

So... skip it completely? Get 19.3 when most of the bugs will be fixed?

 

[Tagbert]

My only complaint is that Siri has no brain. APPLE needs to work on creating a brain for Siri. 12 years I’ve been with Siri and she still doesn’t understand me, as in the words I’m saying.

That is the point of this article (and others about Apple and AI), to make Siri smarter using AI.

 

[.wojtek]

Well, judging from only those two: (1) RCS is utterly useless (I'm not from the US nor have any significant circle that would use texts/iMessage... well... noone actually) and (2) (smarter) siri... to start - she's quite dumb already and I'm not super hyped about using voice/AI so... yawn & meh?

 

[Tagbert]

What’s unstable? I have zero issues currently with mine 🤷🏻‍♂️

I agree. IOS 17 and Sonoma were much more stable out of the gate than most previous OS updates. Sure there are always some bugs but people seem to forget what other #.0 releases were like. IOS 13.0 certainly played to the stereotype of “unlucky 13”.

 

[mrr]

I would like to see Apple Mail get some feature updates. It hasn’t had much love in a decade.

 

[ianto39]

Apple has big plans for iOS 18, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the subscriber-only Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said iOS 18 has the potential to be the "biggest" software update in the iPhone's history.

"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.

Gurman said he plans to share more details about specific iOS 18 features and changes that are planned in the future, but we already know about two new features that are likely to be included in the update, as outlined below.

iOS 18 will be released in September, and the first beta for developers will come out during Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June.

RCS Support

In November 2023, Apple announced that it would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting "later" in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature based on that timeframe.

RCS support should result in the following improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices:

• Higher-resolution photos and videos
• Audio messages
• Typing indicators
• Read receipts
• Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices
• Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users
• Improved encryption compared to SMS

These modern features are already available for iPhone-to-iPhone conversations with blue bubbles, via iMessage, and many of the features are also available in third-party messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. RCS support on the iPhone will extend the features to green bubbles in the Messages app.

Smarter Siri

Gurman expects iOS 18 to feature generative AI technology that "should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences." He said Apple has also explored generative AI features for other apps across its platforms, including Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, and Xcode.

The Information reported that Apple plans to incorporate large language models into Siri to let users automate complex tasks, a feature that would involve deeper integration with the Shortcuts app. The report said this feature is expected to be released in an iPhone software update coming in 2024, which would likely be iOS 18.

Generative AI surged in popularity in 2022 when OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chatbot that can respond to questions and other prompts. Google and Microsoft released similar chatbots last year, as more companies race into the space. The chatbots are trained on large language models, allowing them to respond like a human.

Article Link: iOS 18 Potentially 'Biggest' Software Update in iPhone's History

And Siri still wont be able to distinguish “Siri” from “Sorry” or be enabled at all if you’re someone who sings along to their music.

 

[timber]

Getting the app store seems kind of hard to beat as the biggest update.
Ok, the first releases were easy to improve on but it is what it is.

 

[efktd]

Could it be possible that the "biggest release ever" might be for iPadOS? Perhaps they're finally making it more macOS like.

 

[PantherKang]

I find the top comments lack of faith concerning/deserving… nevertheless I believe this is the year Siri becomes a grownup and starts earning her way in the world. Iteration after iteration have grown the A series’ power/efficiency balance to what is coming this year.

This is what I tell myself, typing on an XS that I hope to massively upgrade in the fall.

I just upgraded my XS regular size to a 15 Pro Max. You are in for a treat and good time this year.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

So, a giant nothingburger.

Things I need: The ability to load programs without a stupid app store.
Things I want: It to look good again. iOS has been absolutely FUGLY since they ruined it with 7.
Things I don't care about: Siri and RCS. Worthless 'features'. But hey, if they want to find a secure way to make Messages interoperate with Signal, that would be cool.

 

[DaveCPA]

I hope they fix everything they messed up in the ios7 update. The calendar is still awful.

GIVE ME A MONTH VIEW