We've been hearing rumors for months about how iOS 18 will be a major update, perhaps one of the biggest ever, and a new report adds a few more details about what we should expect when the software is officially unveiled next month.
These details come courtesy of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, generally one of the most reliable reporters when it comes to accurately predicting Apple's future plans and leaking its software and hardware announcements in advance.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman outlines some of the AI-powered updates rumored to be coming to iOS 18 (and macOS 15 in some cases). Here's what we think could happen, based on his latest update.
1. Transcription of voice notes
Using AI to convert voice notes to text is common practice today (the Google Pixel Recorder app does this, for example) and apparently this is one of the features coming to iOS 18. It could very well be integrated directly into the Notes app voice that is available. included with iOS.
2. Photo retouching
This is also something we're now familiar with – see the generative AI editing tools available on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, for example. Options could include moving or deleting objects, or optimizing colors (the Photos app has already received suggestions for an update).
3. Better search
According to Gurman, searches in iOS 18 and macOS 15 will be “faster and more reliable” thanks to AI. As previously rumored, we may see search results from more apps and improved support for natural language queries when searching for something.
4. Automatic responses
It looks like you'll soon be able to generate smart AI responses in the Apple Mail and Apple Messages apps, if you want to stop typing. However, these will be suggestions – you'll still be able to review and edit them before submitting.
5. Safari improvements
Safari is on track to receive a pretty major update this year. Gurman follows up on previous leaks and says Safari will get improved web search with the help of AI; This should mean more relevant results, along with the ability to get quick summaries of the websites you visit.
6. A more natural Siri
As previously reported, Siri will be easier to talk to, as well as offering better answers, more like a person and less like a robot. Siri will offer more “natural-sounding interactions based on Apple's own great language models,” according to Gurman's article.
7. AI-generated emojis
One AI-related feature mentioned in Gurman's report that we hadn't heard of before is an AI emoji machine. This will apparently display custom emojis instantly, depending on what you're typing, so you'll never be stuck searching for an emoji to match your message.
8. Smart summaries
Expect smart summaries everywhere in iOS 18: emails, web pages, messages, and more. This is something that has been leaked before and could well cover notifications as well. If it works as it seems, the feature should save you a lot of reading time.
9. Home Screen Customizations
This isn't strictly AI-related, but following what he said above, Gurman claims that iOS 18's home screen app shortcuts can be arranged however you want, not just in a grid, and that their colors can be changed. They can change to match. a particular topic.
There's likely more to come once iOS 18 finally sees the light of day — tighter integration between Calendar and Reminders, improved math features in Notes, smoother song transitions in Apple Music — but the features listed above are the ones Gurman points to. specifically referred to in his new report.
Apple AI and OpenAI ChatGPT
Gurman's new report also sheds some light on Apple's rumored partnership with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT and Dall-E. Apparently, Apple's own AI models, both stored on the iPhone and in the cloud, will be used to handle the core AI tasks listed above, but will not be extended to power a full AI chatbot.
For that, Gurman says, Apple will partner with OpenAI to give users the option of ChatGPT on the iPhone. It's unclear how this will differ from simply using the ChatGPT app for iOS, but deeper integration with the iPhone software is presumably on the way. The partnership will be announced at WWDC 2024 on June 10, Gurman says, along with all of these new features for iOS and macOS.
However, according to Gurman, Apple does not want to rely exclusively on OpenAI, so talks are still underway to offer Google Gemini as an AI chatbot option as well. However, that won't be talked about at the WWDC 2024 event in June. Other chatbots could also be added later.
This new report also claims that Apple will emphasize the privacy of its AI tools (both on-device and in the cloud) compared to those offered by companies like Google and Meta. Finally, Gurman mentions that the AI features in iOS 18 could come with a “preview” label attached, to indicate that they are still in development.
