At WWDC in June, Apple will, as always, announce new versions of its operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. (There might also be an update for Vision Pro, but that’s another story.) All of this is very important for software developers, who will discover new system features that they can use for their applications, but it can be a bit dry for software developers. device owners. Except that this year, everything looks much more exciting.
In the Q&A section of his latest newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman describes the impending iOS 18 software update for the iPhone as potentially the biggest ever for the device.
“I’m told that the new operating system is considered within the company to be one of the most important, if not the most important, iOS updates in the company’s history,” he said. he declared.
What that greatness will actually entail is less clear at this point. Gurman pledged to reveal more in due time, but kept things brief in this exchange. Fortunately, though, we already know a lot about how iOS 18 will be a very big deal, or as Gurman put it in November, “ambitious and compelling.” Support for RCS cross-platform messaging is expected to arrive in iOS 18 and will make a huge difference in interactions between iPhone and Android owners. Apple is only doing this reluctantly, but as we’ve explained elsewhere, it’s a win for almost everyone, including Apple fans.
As for the hapless Siri, who we’ve criticized time and time again, the launch of iOS 18 could be the moment where it finally starts to pull its weight. The company may seem to have neglected Siri for years, but behind the scenes it has been working on a major AI strategy that should pay off in, among other things, improving Siri’s performance. Generative AI in particular could be a game-changer for the beleaguered voice assistant.
There are still more than four months until June, and pre-release software products can change in much shorter time frames than hardware due to the lack of a supply chain. In other words, Apple’s plans could still change. But most experts expect June to be a big deal for iPhone owners. The “if” seems settled and we are fascinated to learn more about the “how”.
