iOS 18 Rumor Recap: Over 20 New Features to Expect as WWDC Nears

[aknabi]

I want UI overhaul. They said “skeuomorphism is dead” 12 years ago. And now what? Minimalism proved to be trash that any kid can draw in PS. Nowadays one can barely see design language differences between Windows 11 and macOS

Huh??? There's a massive difference in both the Win11 and macOS design languages and interaction patterns... frankly I far prefer macOSs... you want a more branded experience? Let me hook you up with a desktop background (file attached to this post).

Now if you're saying you'd like some better UX patterns, or you'd like AI integrated well (aka anything NOT Siri)... then yeah I'm with you.

 

[one more]

That’s what I thought too, which also question to upgrade (from M1/M2). I am not heavy user, but it’d useful if iPad can get more solid features in Files, memory management (in opening heavy document), more intuitive keyboard interface, improved download process, running silicone Mac apps, etc - utilizing its more powerful CPU & GPU.

Well, there was a lot of discussion and expectations along the same lines after mini-LED iPad Pros were released. The WWDC followed and… So some people seem to be going the same circle. As for M4 chips, what else could Apple do in the declining iPad sales climate? If anything, it should contribute to their supported software lifespan, so people can easily use them for about five years from now.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Get we just get app notifications that don’t disappear from the lock screen on their own?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. Do they not stay in notification center for you until dismissed? It's not great but they're there.

And a notification history with search.

Now we're talking. Maybe one day as an "accessibility" feature.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Well, there was a lot of discussion and expectations along the same lines after mini-LED iPad Pros were released. The WWDC followed and… So some people seem to be going the same circle. As for M4 chips, what else could Apple do in the declining iPad sales climate? If anything, it should contribute to their supported software lifespan, so people can easily use them for about five years from now.

Apple is between rock and hard place with iPad. They can’t seem to make one group happy without upsetting the other. Even Apple can't seem to decide if it's a big iPhone or more locked down Mac. It will be interesting to see what if anything they do to change that at WWDC. Likely nothing this year, they're full steam ahead on generative AI, no time to improve iPadOS. There's never time. They have a full year schedule to get the features out the door they announced last year just in time to do it all again the next year.

 

[usmaak]

Which has nothing to do with Apple.

It's still fun to joke around about.

 

[Thisismattwade]

I think reactions in Mail would be nice, like those in Outlook and Gmail.

 

[spcopsmac21]

Another year, another update where HomeKit is completely forgotten. Why Apple? AI in the home could be INCREDIBLE

Hey I can wait to by my iPhone 12 SSSS.

Cause it’s basically the same phone since the 12….

 

[EugW]

Are we still expecting iOS 18 support on iPhones all the way back to A12 from 2018? That would be iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

It would be great if my kid’s XR gets RCS support. That machine still feels pretty peppy in iOS 17 in 2024, so I’d expect iOS 18 speed to be fine as well.

Geekbench 6.3 iPhone XR
Single-core ~1300
Multi-core ~2800

iPhone XR - Geekbench

Benchmark results for an iPhone XR with an Apple A12 Bionic processor.

browser.geekbench.com

 

[uacd]

Win11 and macOS design languages and interaction patterns...

I just mean everything looks way too much similar. I also prefer macOS and would probably not go back to Windows any time soon, not just because it has even uglier UI but because it is very slow thanks to billions of under-the-hood spy processes that Microsoft put there for tracking purposes.

Tons on white colors and contrast between elements, thin fonts, 2-dimensional icons and general 2D feeling throughout whole OS. It all feels less intuitive than it was back with old macOS versions (such as Mountain Lion)

 

[Jon N.]

Okay, so from the post I gather that iOS 18 will have these "new" features:

• AI features
• Customizable home screen
• Customizable routes on maps
• RCS support

In other words, things that have been available for years from Apple's competitors (chiefly Google and Samsung).

Don't get me wrong, it would be great to be able to have full-featured RCS chats with Android users instead of having to switch to WhatsApp or Signal. And it will be nice to actually be able to arrange the icons on the home screen. And the other features will be nice as well, I suppose. But none of this is exactly revolutionary. Did Tim Cook just spend all his money on the vision pro and apple car, with nothing left for iOS 18? Is innovation truly dead at Apple?

 

[Jon N.]

Can’t try to try out the new features.

Same here, especially being able to have RCS chat with Android users instead of having to switch to signal or Whatsapp.

 

[miamialley]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. Do they not stay in notification center for you until dismissed? It's not great but they're there.



Now we're talking. Maybe one day as an "accessibility" feature.

They disappear from the lock screen on their own. The entire purpose of a Reminders app notification or a Text Message alert notification, is that it alerts me. It should remain on the lock screen until I manually remove it. The notification center is something I have to actively bring up, defeating the purpose. Often, they never even appear on the lock screen and go straight to the notification center, which I can’t see unless I specifically seek it out.

This was never an issue until iOS 16 or so. Before that it all worked perfectly and a notification would stay on the lock screen. Since then all hell has broken lose.

 

[Macisawesome]

Get we just get app notifications that don’t disappear from the lock screen on their own?

User error

 

[Macisawesome]

They disappear from the lock screen on their own. The entire purpose of a Reminders app notification or a Text Message alert notification, is that it alerts me. It should remain on the lock screen until I manually remove it. The notification center is something I have to actively bring up, defeating the purpose. Often, they never even appear on the lock screen and go straight to the notification center, which I can’t see unless I specifically seek it out.

This was never an issue until iOS 16 or so. Before that it all worked perfectly and a notification would stay on the lock screen. Since then all hell has broken lose.

He probably doesn’t have Lock Screen checked…it’s definitely user error.

 

[miamialley]

User error

He probably doesn’t have Lock Screen checked…it’s definitely user error.

I have never not had the Lock Screen checked. Think what you want. I would LOVE for that to be the issue. For 3 versions of iOS I have had this problem occur with some regularity. Most text messages stay on the Lock Screen until dismissed. Some of them don't. If I didn't have the Lock Screen checked none of them would. So whatever.

 

[Macisawesome]

iOS 18 is just around the corner, with Apple set to unveil the software update during its WWDC keynote next month. Below, we recap new features and changes rumored for iOS 18, which is projected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history.

iOS 18 is rumored to include new AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more customizable Home Screen and other user interface design changes, new features in apps like Apple Maps and Calculator, additional accessibility features, and much more.

WWDC 2024 will begin with Apple's keynote on June 10 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and the iOS 18 beta should be made available to members of the Apple Developer Program immediately following the presentation. A public beta is typically released in July, and the update should be widely released to all users in September.

For additional information, read our iOS 18 roundup.

Smarter Siri and Generative AI

iOS 18 is rumored to have new AI features for Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, Apple Music, Messages, Health, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and more, according to sources such as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and The Information's Wayne Ma.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly teased that the company is working on generative AI, and plans to share details "later this year," and Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak also hinted at AI in a social media post about WWDC 2024.

Generative AI surged in popularity in late 2022, when OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chatbot that can respond to questions and other text prompts. The company has also expanded into generative AI tools for images and videos. Other companies like Google and Microsoft have also pushed into the generative AI space, and the technology is quickly evolving.

iOS 18 is not expected to include an Apple-designed chatbot, but a partnership with OpenAI will reportedly be announced at WWDC.

More Customizable Home Screen

iOS 18 will feature a "more customizable" Home Screen, according to Gurman.

MacRumors exclusively reported that iOS 18 will finally allow users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid. This means that users will be able to create blank spaces, columns, and rows between app icons. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones, and now Apple is bringing it to the iPhone.

iPhone users can already customize the Home Screen with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, which can be used to create "blank" app icons and widgets, but Apple's official solution will be much more convenient.

It was also reported that iOS 18 will allow users to change the color of app icons.

New Accessibility Features

Earlier this month, Apple previewed many new accessibility features coming later this year with software updates like iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2. The announcement came one day ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

Some of the new features coming to the iPhone include Eye Tracking, Vehicle Motion Cues, Music Haptics, and Vocal Shortcuts. CarPlay will also be getting more accessibility features with iOS 18, including Sound Recognition, which will allow drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to turn on alerts to be notified of car horns and sirens.

New Apple Maps Features

MacRumors previously revealed two potential new Apple Maps features coming with iOS 18: custom routes and topographic maps.

With the custom routes feature, Apple Maps users would be able to choose specific roads to travel on while navigating, for reasons such as familiarity or scenic views. This feature is expected to be available in the U.S. only at launch. Google Maps already allows users to create custom routes on the web, and then view them on an iPhone.

Topographic maps first debuted on the Apple Watch last year with watchOS 10, and code suggests that the feature will be expanded to the iPhone, Mac, and Vision Pro with iOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2. These maps include details such as trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest for hiking and other outdoor uses.

RCS Support in Messages App

In November, Apple announced that it would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting "later" in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature based on that timeframe.

RCS support should result in the following improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhones... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iOS 18 Rumor Recap: Over 20 New Features to Expect as WWDC Nears

I hope they bring iOS to the Mac.
I’m being sarcastic….It is so annoying when people say iPad needs to run Mac OS,
I like the”no Mac OS no buy” when new iPads came out.
I haven’t heard a logical explanation to why iPad needs Mac OS….
I think it’s the same people that said that the iPhone mini would sell like hotcakes.

Macs= mac os
iPads= iPad os
iPhone= iOS
Watch= Watch os
Apple TV=tv os

If you don’t like it
Go grab a asus windows Laptop, the new google pad whatever they call it and a S24…..

 

[Macisawesome]

I'm sure Google will still complain about Apple's RCS implementation because Apple is using the standard, not Google's tracking infested and generally damaged version.

Google hasn’t done anything exciting since it launched the google website.
It just follows Apple and Samsung.
Seriously if I’m wrong give some examples

 

[EugW]

I hope they bring iOS to the Mac.
I’m being sarcastic….It is so annoying when people say iPad needs to run Mac OS,
I like the”no Mac OS no buy” when new iPads came out.
I haven’t heard a logical explanation to why iPad needs Mac OS….
I think it’s the same people that said that the iPhone mini would sell like hotcakes.

Macs= mac os
iPads= iPad os
iPhone= iOS
Watch= Watch os
Apple TV=tv os

If you don’t like it
Go grab a asus windows Laptop, the new google pad whatever they call it and a S24…..

While I don’t believe iPads need to run macOS, there are good reasons for that desire. The longing for macOS comes from the fact that iPadOS is still woefully inadequate for many things. For example, file management on iPads remains a total disaster. It’s already been well over a decade and iOS/iPadOS still can’t get it even close to right.

If you look through the tech reviews, even the ones that had official pre-release units from Apple to review, every second one talks about how limiting iPadOS can be. Where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire…

 

[Isamilis]

While I don’t believe iPads need to run macOS, there are good reasons for that desire. The longing for macOS comes from the fact that iPadOS is still woefully inadequate for many things. For example, file management on iPads remains a total disaster. It’s already been well over a decade and iOS/iPadOS still can’t get it even close to right.

If you look through the tech reviews, even the ones that had official pre-release units from Apple to review, every second one talks about how limiting iPadOS can be. Where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire…

Second this. I think idea of macOS on iPad is triggered with limitation on iPadOS itself. For me, Apple is unclear on iPad positioning. Is it Mac replacement or no (and why is there Magic Keyboard?).

 

[CarAnalogy]

They disappear from the lock screen on their own. The entire purpose of a Reminders app notification or a Text Message alert notification, is that it alerts me. It should remain on the lock screen until I manually remove it. The notification center is something I have to actively bring up, defeating the purpose. Often, they never even appear on the lock screen and go straight to the notification center, which I can’t see unless I specifically seek it out.

This was never an issue until iOS 16 or so. Before that it all worked perfectly and a notification would stay on the lock screen. Since then all hell has broken lose.

That seems unusual. I do get your point though, it's one reason apps like Due have recurring notifications.

You're *supposed to* (it might indeed be buggy) be able to set the notification style for each app, including persistent.

I've actually started using notification summaries for the opposite reason, I got too many email notifications so grouping them for later is helpful. That might be something to look into. The summary seems to stick around consistently.

 

[Justin Cymbal]

I’d like Apple to eventually bring the new Journal app to the iPad in a future version of iOS

Ever since Apple came out with the Journal app, I’ve been using it on my iPhone (about once or twice a week) but it would be much better to be able to create journal entries it on a bigger screen