AI for the iPhone and iPad is a major focus for Apple at WWDC 2024.
We have the most recent information on the tech giant's software intentions for the next months, as we have just checked in to Apple's WWDC 2024 keynote presentation. When Samsung's Galaxy AI was released earlier this year, we thought Apple would go all in on AI features for iOS 18, but Tim Cook and his group of software specialists kept us waiting for the good stuff.
The next iOS 18 iPhone update will include some quality-of-life and customisation choices, according to Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. Redesigned Dark Mode icons, media playback, control centre functionality for smart home automation, and unrestricted button rearranging on the home screen are just a few of these improvements. For those with cunning iPhones, we also have some good news. With iOS 18, you have the option to lock specific applications or remove them completely from your home screen.
Federighi and company then turned their attention to specific apps. iOS 18 offers new features such as Game Mode, which, like its Mac counterpart, minimises background activity to maximise frame rate; topographic maps for Maps; and a redesigned Photos app that groups images into more topics and removes screenshots. We finally received confirmation of something we've all been waiting for before moving on to home and audio. Finally, RCS texting will be available on iPhone!
For those who are unaware, we have been waiting years for the capability known as RCS messaging. Android phones communicate using this technology, which is more dependable and speedier than SMS communications. Despite the fact that many people didn't believe Apple would ever implement RCS messaging—iMessage's blue bubbles have long been a selling feature of the iPhone—it is now officially available with iOS 18, greatly facilitating communication between Android and iPhone users.
WatchOS 11 offers several new features for Apple Watch owners to look forward to. You'll be able to create customised training plans and rate your intensity on a scale of one to 10 with the soon to be released Training Mode. We're also receiving the release of Check In for Apple Watch, a helpful safety feature for late-night runners, along with the Vitals app, which lets you monitor your most essential health metrics.
Federighi started with watchOS before delivering the Math Notes feature for the iPadOS 18 upgrade. This feature takes the standard iPhone calculator app and makes it much more helpful by using the iPad's screen real estate. You may use an Apple Pencil to draw equations using Math Notes, and the tablet will provide you with an intelligent solution. Additionally, there is Smart Script, which uses machine-learning techniques to make your handwriting more readable and taut. Since my handwriting is terrible, I'd want to test this function out for myself.
You can probably already tell how I felt when watching the WWDC 2024 presentation if you're asking yourself, "Okay, but where are the AI features?" at this point. We were certain that Apple will embrace the smartphone artificial intelligence revolution since we had heard so many rumours about AI technologies before to the presentation. Then it took place. We were introduced to Apple Intelligence by Tim Cook.
On iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia, Apple Intelligence—the company's first significant AI push with personal context awareness—will be available. It should come as no surprise that Siri is the app most advantaged by the new AI features. In case you're not exactly sure what you're asking, Siri in iOS 18 can recognise ambiguous inquiries and instructions and provide detailed answers for how to carry out activities on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Additionally, Siri is gaining on-screen awareness—something about which we had heard rumours before to the announcement—and is capable of doing certain tasks like picture enhancement and email and message search functionality. Along with new writing tools, Apple Intelligence is introducing Rewrite, which provides rewritten versions of your material and modifies sentence structure, tone, and other aspects. Additionally, there is a programme called Smart Reply that does just what it claims it does—it generates a thorough response using the least amount of data possible. This is kind of a paradigm shift if you're as indolent as I am.
Another brand-new Apple Intelligence product, Genmoji, lets you create personalised emoticons to share with your pals. Additionally, there is an on-device text-to-image prompt tool called Image Playground if you really want to go above and beyond. It uses faces from your camera roll as a source of inspiration and can produce pictures in three different styles: sketch, illustration, and animation. With only a few taps, you can share your works with your pals using this built-in iMessage function.
With iOS 18, Apple has finally provided a response to Google Pixel's Magic Eraser in the picture editing space with the Clean Up feature. To delete anything from a picture, simply click on it, and then click again to remove it. As usual with Apple, the key features are security and simplicity. You can clean up your images without any prior image editing experience, and you don't even need to submit them to a server.
Federighi said that Apple is incorporating ChatGPT into iOS 18 and the updated Siri, as if all of that wasn't enough. However, it's not automatic. Before determining the response, crafting your narrative, or producing your picture, your device must first ask whether you're OK with it referring to ChatGPT. Even better, there's no need for a ChatGPT account and everything is free. This will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows at Samsung HQ since there are rumours that the Korean company would soon start charging for itsGalaxy AI features.
So when will the iOS 18 upgrade include all these amazing AI features? Drop. That's the time. More information was not provided, but it wouldn't be shocking if iOS 18 was released in September of this year, coinciding with the anticipated release date of the iPhone 16. However, there is a major catch: in order to use the new AI capabilities, you must have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. This is understandable given the amount of processing power needed on the smartphone in order to achieve the AI magic.
These are the main points of Apple's WWDC 2024 presentation. See our guides to the best Google Pixel phones, best Samsung phones, and best Xiaomi phones to learn more about what the Android manufacturers are up to in their never-ending battle with Apple.