iOS 18 is here, and it’s a monumental and transformative step for Apple’s mobile OS.
Apple has just unveiled what will most certainly be regarded as the biggest update in the history of iOS. Apple didn’t fully join in on the AI fun that most of its rivals have been fully leaning onto for the past year or so, which makes iOS 18 such an important milestone for Cupertino.
But it’s not all AI, as tons of other aspects of iOS have been rethought and revamped; even if there were zero AI announcements, iOS 18 would still have been a perfectly viable software update, as good as they usually come.
iOS 18 is here, fueled by a ton of new features, revamping of core iOS apps, better privacy, security, customizability, and last but definitely not least––powered by artificial intelligence.
Apple Intelligence and revamped Siri
Apple’s now partaking in the trendy AI race. Enter Apple Intelligence, Cupertino’s rather complete take on AI that’s generously sprinkled all over iOS 18.
The major amount of new features, however, are found in the most logical place: Siri.
The voice assistant has received a serious redesign: gone is the globe icon at the bottom of the screen, Siri will now appear as a flashing outline on your screen for a less-intrusive look. The underlying architecture and essential capabilities of Siri have also been reworked.
However, the new Siri will only work on iPhone 15 and newer because the majority of features are processed on-device, and apparently that’s a pretty tasking scenario for older iPhones that otherwise support iOS 18.
The voice assistant is now capable of executing various tasks in your apps, including complex multi-step queries. For example, you can ask Siri to find all pictures of your child wearing a blue jacket and text these to your significant other without any user interaction. Apple says Siri has scored a ton of new app intents, which enable it to control so much more inside stock Apple apps, but an API will allow developers to tap into the AI-powered Siri’s potential.
Siri now also has a more natural voice, which will make conversing with it a tad more innate. You can now also type to Siri by double-tapping the app handle switch at the bottom of your lock screen.
Apple also has a new generative image generator in iOS 18, available either as a part of the Messages app but also as a standalone app to play around.
It’s not all Siri, though: Apple has partnered up with OpenAI to bring the ubiquitous ChatGPT to iPhone. The latter will be deeply integrated with Siri, which will be able to tap in ChatGPT’s knowledge and advanced understanding for more complex tasks.
For the full scoop on all things AI, have a look at our dedicated iOS and AI: Everything you need to know article.
