The iOS 18: Latest Leaks And Rumors You NEED To Know

Apple is all set to launch its latest operating system, the iOS 18, which will make its debut at the WWDC 2024( World Wide Developer Conference) event, according to Apple. The buzz for the new iOS 18 is gaining momentum as the event gets close. The WWDC 2024 is set for June 10, and Apple will showcase its latest software and hardware offerings at the event. However, the elephant in the room is the new iOS 18. Ever since Apple made the announcement, leaks and rumours have flooded the internet, and everyone has a hypothesis of their own. In this blog, we will take a look at some of the leaks and rumours about the new iOS 18 and tell you what you can expect from the latest Apple OS. 

Leaks And Rumours About Apple’s iOS 18

There are many rumours, leaks, and definites about the new iOS 18, which we will discuss here. 

AI Features

One major reason iOS 18 has created such a buzz is the supposed integration of AI features in the SoC. According to the company, it spends almost $1 billion annually on AI R&D. Apple is researching AI and developing the hardware needed to run these large language models on its devices. The new iOS 18 will allow many first-party Apple apps to use AI to streamline the user experience. For instance, the Apple Music app will use AI to auto-generate music playlists. Moreover, apps like Notes will also have AI features that will help generate or edit content. 

The iOS 18 large language model will be a run-on-device system and will not require any club database to run. Some people using iPhone 15 and below can miss out on a few features, as the computational power needed for a large language model can be very high. However, the new iPhone 16 will fully take advantage of iOS 18. 

There are some rumours that Apple can also use OpenAI’s Chat GPT model or Google’s Gemini as their large language model; however, the chances are 50-50. According to many sources, Apple is in talks with Google to use its cloud-based AI services like generating photos and writing an essay with Gemini. Apple has also mentioned that the new A18 chip from Apple will have additional neural engine cores, which will enhance the machine-learning capabilities of any large language model. 

Siri Updates

Apple’s Siri has not been in the same stratosphere as other virtual assistants like Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Alexa in recent years. However, this new iOS 18 and the new A18 chip are said to change it all forever. As one leaker suggested, Apple will use the Large Language model to revamp Siri and make it a more competent virtual assistant. Large language models are trained with huge data sets and can understand human language much more efficiently than Siri. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that one of the main features that Apple is working on is the integration of new Siri with the messaging app. This means that Siri will be able to carry forward your conversation based on your previous conversation and your prompt. 

According to The Informations, with this, Siri will be able to perform complex tasks. For instance, Siri will be able to turn 5 photos into a single GIF( Graphic Interchange Format) and then send it to a particular person, all in one command, which is truly commendable. 

App Updates

Apple is also expected to change many of its first-party apps. Let's examine some of them. 

Safari

Safari is Apple’s web browser, which is poised to change after the new iOS 18 update. For starters, it will offer an “intelligent Search” option that will use the device's AI model to better understand the key topics and phrases and present you with a summary of a webpage.

Another feature said to debut with the new iOS 18 is the “Web Eraser” feature, which will allow users to delete or erase certain parts of a web page. Moreover, these changes will remain even after various visits unless you revert the changes from the setting. 

Notes

As mentioned above, Apple can use LLMs to generate and edit various texts. However, there are a few more applications of AI in notes. For instance, the Notes app is expected to support a recording feature that will allow users to embed their recordings within a particular note. Moreover, the AI features in Notes can also be used to write transcripts of any recording.  Also, if you don’t want a full transcript, you can ask the AI model to listen for the key points and write them down. 

Calendar and Reminder

Although not a very big feature, it is still worth noting that in iOS 18, Apple can allow the calendar and reminder to interact with each other so that your reminder app can perform more proficiently. 

RCS Update

In their latest iOS 18, Apple is expected to offer a feature that has been in the Androids for quite some time now, the RCS or Rich Communication Services feature. This will allow the messaging between Android and Apple to improve in myriad ways.  Here are the improvements that will take place:

• Support For sending high-quality photos and videos
• Support for sharing larger files
• Audio messages
• Cross-Platform Emoji reactions
• Real-time Typing indicators
• Read receipts
• Improved Group Chats

Some other things that are poised to change in the new iOS 18 update include:

1. Calculator App
2. Free Form App
3. Apple Music
4. Keynote, Pages and Numbers
5. Shortcut icons
6. Health App

Will iOS 18 Be A Game Changer?

Apple's new operating system will surely bring some exciting new features to the ecosystem. However, these features can very well stay limited to the new iPhone 16. This is because previous generations of iPhones lack the computational power they need to run these AI features. That being said, these AI features will be revolutionary. But does it mean Android will have a hard time competing with Apple? Not necessarily. Most of the features Apple offers in the upcoming iOS 18 have been available to Android users for years. So, it's nothing new to Android phone companies. On this note, we will conclude our blog. The WWDC 2024 is almost here. Comment and let us know which hardware or software you are excited about the most.