Apple has recently announced iOS 18, the upcoming iteration of its operating system for iPhones, promising a plethora of new features and enhancements.
Set to be released between September and December this year, iOS 18 will be available as a free software update for iPhone Xs and newer models.
Hereunder are some of the key highlights of this highly anticipated iPhone software:
Customization Features:
One of the standout features of iOS 18 is the enhanced customization options for users. This includes the ability to arrange apps and widgets anywhere on the Home Screen, with the option to place them above the dock. Users can also apply new visual effects to app icons and widgets, such as dark or tinted effects, and adjust their size for a more personalized experience. The Control Center has also been revamped for quicker access to frequently used controls, with the option to add controls from supported third-party apps.
Photos Features:
The Photos app in iOS 18 introduces a redesigned interface with a focus on simplicity and organization. Users can now browse their photos in a single view with new collections that help organize images by themes. Additionally, a new carousel view highlights daily updates and favorite moments, bringing photo libraries to life.
Message Features:
iMessage gets an update in iOS 18 with new text effects that add animation to letters, words, phrases, and emojis. Users can also format their messages with bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough. For users communicating with non-Apple devices, the Messages app now supports the RCS protocol, offering richer media and more reliable group messaging compared to SMS and MMS.
Mail Features:
The built-in Mail app introduces new ways to manage emails, including on-device categorization that sorts emails into different categories such as “Primary,” “Transactions,” “Updates,” and “Promotions.” A new digest view allows users to quickly scan relevant emails from the same sender.
Safari Features:
Safari in iOS 18 leverages AI to provide key information about webpages, such as text summaries of articles or the ability to listen to music tracks directly from the browser. The Reader feature has been redesigned to offer more ways to read articles, including summaries and tables of contents for longer articles.
Privacy Features:
iOS 18 introduces new privacy features, including the ability to lock and hide apps to keep information private. Users can lock an app and hide it from search, notifications, and other parts of the system. Additionally, users can choose to share only specific contacts with an app, enhancing privacy.
Apple Intelligence: New AI Features
Apple’s new AI capabilities, dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” bring several new features to iOS 18. This includes new writing tools that allow users to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text across various apps. The Image Playground lets users create playful images with animation, illustration, or sketch styles.
Additional Features:
iOS 18 includes a range of other features, such as the ability to browse hikes in national parks, enhancements to gaming with Game Mode, new Apple Pay features, SharePlay with Apple Music, improvements to the Notes app, and updates to the Health app for emergency situations.
iOS 18 represents a significant update for iPhone users, offering a range of new features and enhancements that aim to improve customization, privacy, and overall user experience. The update is set to be released this fall and will be available as a free software update for eligible devices.
