Apple iOS 18: From AI features to release date, everything we know so far

However, the delay may have little to no impact on the development cycle of iOS 18, meaning we might see Apple announcing the upcoming operating system in the second week of June at the WWDC 2024. Soon after, Apple is expected to make it available to developers for beta testing followed by a public beta in July. If everything goes as planned, we expect Apple to release the iOS 18 update sometime in the second or third week of September alongside the iPhone 16 series.

Visual overhaul and RCS support

Apple will give us a glimpse of what’s upcoming at the June WWDC 2024 event, but rumour has it that the upcoming version of iOS will take inspiration from Vision OS, the operating system that powers the Vision Pro headset. If true, this means we will see more circular icons alongside a translucent user interface.

Some other changes that may find their way on the much-anticipated update include a revamped control center and a more customisable home screen that might allow users to freely move icons wherever they want and even leave a gap between two icons.

In October last year, the Cupertino-based company announced that iPhones would be getting support for Rich Communication Services (RCS), a protocol designed by Google that will enable iPhone users to send high-quality images and videos to Android devices. It will also bring features like read receipts, typing indicators and the ability to share location with others inside text threads.

Apple had said that RCS support will be coming to iPhones sometime later this year via a software update, so it is highly likely that the feature will be available with iOS 18.

Generative AI-powered features

Apple is reportedly working on several generative AI features, which are expected to make their debut with the launch of iOS 18. The upcoming software update might integrate artificial intelligence into native apps. First-party apps like Mail and Notes might have translation and summarisation features, but chances are Apple might limit them to newer iPhone models since they require more memory.

A new report by 9to5Mac also suggests that the company is working on new AI features for Apple Music, which might help auto-generate music playlists. According to Bloomberg, Apple might be working on its very own large language model (LLM) codenamed Ajax, which will offer ChatGPT-like features and might be integrated with Siri to improve the conversation experience with the voice assistant.

Rumour also has it that similar to Samsung, Apple might go ahead with hybrid AI integration, meaning a bunch of features will be powered by an on-device model while resource-intensive functionalities will use cloud computing. In the last few weeks, Apple was reportedly in talks with Google to bring some Gemini-powered features to iPhones. The tech giant is also exploring using AI models developed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI and the Chinese tech giant Baidu.

Apple might make icons more rounded with iOS 18. (Express Photo)

Will my iPhone get iOS 18?

Apple usually supports iPhones for several years, so if you have an old iPhone that was purchased in the last four or five years, chances are you will get the iOS 18 update. However, as is the case with older Apple devices, not all features will find their way to these older devices.

Speculations suggest that over twenty iPhone models will be eligible for the update (review). Here’s a list of all the devices that are expected to get iOS 18.

iPhone XS

iPhone XS Max

iPhone XR

iPhone SE (2nd generation)

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

iPhone 11

iPhone 11 Pro

iPhone 11 Pro Max

iPhone 12 mini

iPhone 12

iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iPhone 13 mini

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Plus

iPhone 14 Pro

iPhone 14 Pro Max

iPhone 15

iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max