Key Takeaways
- Apple is introducing Apple Intelligence with AI-powered options like textual content summarization and an enhanced Siri.
- iOS 18 brings a customizable residence display screen with app icon placement anyplace on display screen and darkish mode theming.
- Management Middle in iOS 18 is retooled for higher usability and permits third-party app builders so as to add fast setting tiles.
Apple has formally unveiled iOS 18, the newest and best model of its cell working system, at its annual WWDC conference for 2024. The iPhone is about to obtain some thrilling new options and upgrades when the software program replace lands someday this fall.
There are tons of smaller tweaks and additions to iOS that may warrant a deeper dive, however listed here are 5 notably thrilling options which have me instantly hyped for iOS 18.
iPadOS 18 includes 5 features iPad owners have been waiting for
Apple used WWDC to indicate off a few of the greatest and greatest options coming to iPadOS 18.
1 The introduction of Apple Intelligence
Synthetic intelligence continues to be a serious focus inside the tech trade this 12 months
Apple
All of us knew synthetic intelligence (AI) would have a powerful presence in Apple’s new software program lineup. Proper on cue, we have been launched to what the corporate has dubbed Apple Intelligence.
“Setting a brand new customary for privateness in AI, Apple Intelligence understands private context to ship intelligence that’s useful and related,” says Apple. New AI-powered options constructed into iOS 18 embrace textual content summarization, pure language search, generative picture and emoji creators, e-mail and notification precedence lists, and a beefed-up Siri expertise with access to ChatGPT tech.
Nothing launched underneath the Apple Intelligence umbrella is especially groundbreaking on the floor, with most of those options already present on competing platforms. That being stated, they’re welcome inclusions none-the-less, notably when taken in context of Apple’s dedication to person privateness.
Sadly, it seems that solely the newest iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max fashions will probably be receiving a lot of the AI goodness, however we’ll have to attend and see simply how a lot stays unique to Apple’s top-of-the-line {hardware}.
2 A extra customizable residence display screen
Higher late than by no means
Apple
With iOS 18, Apple is lastly leaning into interface customization — to an extent, that’s. The power to position app icons anyplace on the house display screen is a marked enchancment to one-handed usability and total interface flexibility.
The brand new darkish mode app icon theme is sweet, and the power to additional dial in and modify the colour scheme is a welcome inclusion. Sadly, third-party icon packs are nonetheless left by the wayside, which is an unlucky blemish on an in any other case thrilling leap ahead in customization.
ChatGPT will be baked into iPhone and Macs for free later this year
Apple is partnering with OpenAI in order that iPhone and Mac customers can leverage GPT-4o straight on their units.
It seems to be simply as easy to make use of, however with the good thing about extensibility
Management Middle — that part of your iPhone that allows you to shortly modify things like brightness and Wi-Fi — is being improved upon vastly in iOS 18. The easy-to-navigate design remains to be in tow, however can now be adjusted and rearranged to raised fit your style.
A brand new paginated structure calls again to iOS 10’s Management Middle however does so whereas sustaining its fashionable design language and value aptitude.
Higher nonetheless, Apple says third-party app builders will have the ability to faucet into the brand new Management Middle to offer their very own fast setting tiles. It is unclear what number of builders will leap on board and the way shortly they may accomplish that, however I definitely hope to see the brand new characteristic leveraged as a lot as potential.
4 A devoted Passwords app
That is one thing I’ve needed for years
Apple
Apple has provided a strong in-house password supervisor expertise for a few years now. For all its deserves of comfort, nonetheless, the shortage of a devoted app interface to really handle your passwords has been a sore level.
This fortunately adjustments with iOS 18 — moderately than being nestled deep inside the Settings app, a brand new devoted Passwords app will make sorting by means of and finding passwords a breeze.
All the prevailing performance stays intact, together with the weak and compromised password alerts, however the means to shortly entry the interface is what is going to make all of the distinction from a user-experience perspective.
5 Native help for locking and hiding apps
Yet one more characteristic I’ve spent years clamoring for
The power to lock particular person apps behind a passcode or biometric authentication is the sort of characteristic that makes all of the sense on the planet. Apple is lastly throwing us a bone by introducing exactly this characteristic into iOS 18.
The addition is so simple as it sounds, requiring a profitable Face ID scan to allow you to entry any app you deem to include notably delicate knowledge. Locked apps may have the extra good thing about hiding app-related content material from different elements of iOS, together with surfaces like search and push notifications. For much more privateness, the choice to cover an app completely can be being launched into iOS 18. When doing so, the app will seem in a ‘Hidden’ folder inside the App Library, obscuring the app from any potential prying eyes.
Apple Intelligence: 12 AI features coming to your iPhone and Mac
At WWDC 24, Apple introduced some main AI upgrades. Listed here are all the brand new Apple Intelligence options coming to Apple’s units.
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