Apple has big plans for its iOS 18 update this year, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
In his ‘Power On’ newsletter, Gurman wrote, “I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history.” However, no additional details are offered beyond stating iOS 18 is poised to be a substantial update.
That said, based on previous rumours, we have an idea of what might be included in iOS 18. First, RCS support in Messages is coming “later” in 2024, which means the feature will likely be included in Apple’s next mobile OS update. This brings features like higher-resolution photos/videos, group chats, read receipts and more to messages between iOS and Android devices.
Another key feature that will likely be included in iOS 18 is Siri generative AI. Gurman and several analysts, including Jeff Pu, have predicted that “Apple GPT” could launch in late 2024, just in time for the iPhone 16 series and iOS 18. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 was rumoured to feature generative AI-powered Bixby, and that didn’t pan out, so perhaps Apple’s take on the technology also won’t be ready in time for its next smartphone launch.
Apple is expected to reveal its generative AI plans at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). iOS 18 will be shown off at WWDC and launched this coming fall alongside the iPhone 16.
In the same newsletter, Gurman also outlined Apple’s plans to release a new M3-powered iPad Air, iPad Pro and MacBook Air.
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