Like every year, the Cupertino company offers a new version of iOS and iPadOS for its iPhone and iPad. But 2024 could be a special year as iOS 18 could be the most ambitious update since the operating system launched.
When is the iOS 18 release date?
Apple will officially present iOS 18 at its annual developer conference, WWDC24, which will be held from June 10 to 14, 2024. The latest version of the mobile OS will be made available to developers who will be able to test the beta version from this month of June. A public beta will then be launched during the month of July. This will be an opportunity for those who are less cautious to test the new OS before its official release.
The release date of the stable version of iOS 18 is expected for September 2024, at the same time as the marketing of the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, which will logically be the first to benefit from it.
Which iPhones and iPads are compatible with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18?
iOS will be compatible with all iPhones that are capable of running iOS 17. This is particularly the case for older models such as the iPhone XR, the 2nd generation iPhone SE or the iPhone XS and XS Max. Here is the complete list of iPhones compatible with iOS 18:
- All iPhone 15;
- All iPhone 14;
- All iPhone 13;
- All iPhone 12;
- All iPhone 11;
- The iPhone XS and XS Max;
- The iPhone XR;
- The 2nd and 3rd generation iPhone SE.
The number of iPads compatible with iPadOS 18 should be more limited. Indeed, the new OS may not be supported by Apple tablets with an A10X Fusion chip, i.e. the first generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro and the second 12.9-inch iPad Pro. generation. Here is the list of iPads that should be compatible with iPadOS 18:
- iPad Pro 2018 and newer;
- iPad Air 2019 and newer;
- iPad mini 2019 and newer;
- iPad 2020 and newer.
What’s new for iOS 18?
Software engineers at Apple have reportedly confided that iOS 18 will probably be “the biggest” update in the history of the iPhone. Just that. While waiting to be able to judge on the spot, here are the main new features expected on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
A (truly) customizable home screen
As surprising as it may seem to those who have been using Android smartphones for years, Apple still doesn’t make it easy to simply place app icons exactly where you want them on the screen.
Read: the new iOS 18 interface would be inspired by visionOS
Today the only way to do this is to create empty icons with the app Shortcuts to organize your apps on the home screen. iOS 18 could change that by giving users the option to leave empty rows and columns between applications. This would be a small revolution for the iPhone.
Support for RCS in the Messages app
After some pressure from Google (and China), Apple finally decided and announced that the company would support the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol in 2024. RCS, which is set to gradually replace SMS and MMS, will improve communication between the iPhone and Android devices (which already use it). Concretely, here are some examples of improvements that users will benefit from:
- acknowledgments of receipt and reading of messages;
- strike indicators (the three small dots);
- sharing high definition photos and videos;
- audio messages;
- Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices;
- better security by sending encrypted messages;
- Improved group chats between iPhone and Android smartphone users.
This won’t make any difference to those who communicate from iPhone to iPhone via iMessage, but should greatly improve the device experience from iPhone to Android. On the other hand, Apple will not change its blue and green bubbles to distinguish the two ecosystems. A regrettable choice as it can be subject to stigmatization among young users.
AI arrives in Apple applications (Siri, Music, Messages, etc.)
According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg and Wayne Ma of The Information, Apple would take advantage of updates to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to integrate artificial intelligence into its integrated applications. Apple reportedly spent a billion dollars to “catch up” with the competition in AI. For example, the company bought the Canadian startup DarwinAI to be able to run part of its AI functionalities locally on iPhones and iPads. To say that iOS 18 is eagerly awaited on this point is an understatement as Apple has been communicating for a long time on the importance of the confidentiality of its users’ data.
For example, Apple Music could benefit from automatically generated playlists based on your music history. For their part, Pages and Keynote could use AI to complete sentences and create presentations more quickly. Health, Messages and even Shortcuts should also be boosted with artificial intelligence.
Siri could also benefit from a major update using a new language model (LLM) to make it a much more efficient assistant than it is today. Apple has been facing fierce competition in the field in recent months. We obviously think of ChatGPT, but also of Google Gemini and Claude. The interaction between Siri and other applications would also be improved thanks to AI. Thus, Apple’s Assistant could automatically complete sentences in Messages and automate complex tasks in Shortcuts.
To go further: Apple is working on the AI of Siri and Messages with the help of ChatGPT
Apple Plans continues on its way
With iOS 18, Apple Maps would support personalized routes for users who want to take routes that aren’t necessarily those suggested by the app. Topographic maps, already present on watchOS 10, would arrive on the iPhone with iOS 18. They allow you to see trails, elevation, points of interest and other useful information for outdoor activities.
Your voice in the Notes app
Unlike Google Keep, which has been standing still for some time, Apple’s Notes application continues to evolve by regularly offering new features. In addition to links, tags, tables, photos and other drawings, Notes could be enriched with voice notes and their automatic transcription (probably with a dose of AI).
According to Apple Insider, the Notes application could also accommodate the iOS calculator, giving the possibility of integrating hand-drawn equations and formulas into notes. More than ever, Apple seems to be taking note-taking seriously by improving its productivity application, widely used on iPhone and iPad.
New rumors around the features of iOS 18 will certainly be shared before the official presentation of Apple’s new mobile OS. We will of course update this file if necessary. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to share with us in the comments what you expect from iOS 18.
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