Apple is expected to release the next major iPhone software upgrade on June 10 at WWDC. The most recent iOS 18 rumours and leaks are listed below.
In exactly one week, on June 10, Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is expected to begin. The next iOS 18 version of the iPhone software is anticipated to be unveiled by the business.
A January issue of Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter suggested that the upcoming iOS version would offer the "biggest" software update in the history of the iPhone. Gurman predicted in November that iOS 18 will be a "relatively groundbreaking" version for the iPhone, bringing "major new features and designs."
In an attempt to capitalise on the excitement surrounding this new technology, phone manufacturers are gradually adding generative AI functions to their top models. Samsung released the Galaxy S24 series with Galaxy AI in January, and Google unveiled its top Pixel 8 range with enhanced AI capabilities last autumn. With the anticipated release of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, Apple is anticipated to follow suit. On a May earnings conference, CEO Tim Cook expressed his expectation that Apple will have an advantage in AI, despite the fact that the business is often regarded as being behind in the race.
In answer to a query on generative AI during a February earnings call, Cook stated, "We've got some things that we are incredibly excited about that we'll be talking about later this year."
To be fair, Apple already has AI features in its iPhones—such as the ability to identify picture duplication—but it's unclear yet how generative AI will play a significant role in the development of iOS and the iPhone. Apple included a number of AI-powered features with iOS 17, such as an improved keyboard with enhanced autocorrection and the ability to clone your own voice on the iPhone (a type of gen AI). However, the business did not reveal any generative AI solutions like to OpenAI's Chat GPT or Google's Gemini. Yet, the rumour mill suggests that iOS 18 will include significant changes. The most reliable ones are listed below.
Notes App revamp
One of the most significant updates, aside from Siri, could show up on Apple's well-known Notes app, per claims from Apple Insider. It is anticipated that the Notes app will include audio recording and transcription capabilities. It could also acquire the capacity to produce summaries using AI. There are rumours that this functionality will alter the Voice Memo applications for iPads, MacBooks, and iPhones. It is said to function similarly to the Live Voicemail functionality that the firm debuted with iOS 17 last autumn.
Smarter Siri
Since iOS 5 was released in 2011, Siri has been available, but with iOS 18, Apple's voice-activated assistant may become even more helpful. According to a late-May Bloomberg story, Apple's digital assistant would be able to operate every feature within apps, allowing users to voice-activate individual tasks on several apps. According to the source, this function won't be available until 2025 and will be included in an iOS 18 update after that.
Regenerative AI technology, in the short term, should "improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences," says Gurman.
Apple intends to deploy huge language models, an essential component of generative AI, to make Siri better, according to a September Information article. In that article, an example shown how Siri can react to basic voice commands for more complicated tasks—like creating a GIF out of a collection of images and forwarding it to a contact—was given. If that scenario is correct, then Siri's capabilities have advanced significantly. This is supported by a more recent Bloomberg article, which claims that Siri will eventually be able to complete the multi-step process of summarising a videotaped meeting and texting it to a colleague with only one request.
Does the Calendar app work with the Reminders app?
It appears that iOS 18 will bring Reminders app integration to the iPhone calendar app. The upgraded version of Calendar should let you set and arrange reminders without requiring you to open the Reminders app, per a May AppleInsider article. Reminders will be shown in the Day, Week, and Month calendar views, according to the source.
Improved texting with Android
Apple has announced that it will enable the cross-platform texting standard, RCS, on the iPhone. An Apple representative reportedly stated that it will be available for the iPhone "later next year" and that it will function with iMessage in a story published in November by 9to5Mac.
By introducing iMessage-like functionality, RCS compatibility should enhance the present texting experience between users of iPhones and Android phones. These enhancements include the ability to send contacts crisp images and videos, read receipts, typing indications, and—above all—end-to-end encryption, which is a feature that SMS texting does not offer. To put it another way, you can text each other using RCS rather than SMS if you have an Android phone and someone else has an iPhone. It's crucial to keep in mind, though, that iMessage will only be available on the iPhone and other Apple products. iMessage won't be available on Android phones via RCS.
As previously said, there is still a lack of information on Apple's plans, and we are unsure of which iPhone models will support iOS 18. Please come back often as we will be adding updates to this page as we have additional information. In the meanwhile, iOS 17 can help you catch up.
On-device AI
A new rumour suggests a possible operation for Apple's generative AI features. Gurman claims that the generative AI features on the future iPhone will be anchored by Apple's own LLM. Better privacy and quicker reaction times are the main advantages of on-device AI because there is no need to send data to the cloud. However, this strategy may also render Apple's AI tools less appropriate for specific situations that call for a high level of expertise, similar to how some chatbots are less helpful than others since they aren't able to access the public internet. However, the manufacturer of iPhones might licence technology from Google and other AI service providers to make up for these restrictions.
