iOS 18 is here – but the first overview still lacks any trace of AI functions.
WWDC 2024 has, as expected, brought iOS 18 to light – and for starters, we haven’t heard anything about artificial intelligence. However, the developer conference keynote is still in full swing. So if it does happen as expected, One More Thing
comes to an end, we will update this article accordingly.
And at 8:15 p.m. the time had finally come – Apple saved the new AI features for the finale of the keynote. The article will be continuously updated with relevant details.
New home screen and revised control center
It started with the new home screen, which is intended to enable a more individual look of the home screen through a better distribution of icons and widgets.
In addition, the color design of the symbols can now be customized (almost) as desired. The iPhone 15-exclusive Action Button will also have new options for assignment, for example with the Notes app.
The control center has also received some new features. In this, several third-party apps can be grouped together and accessed via the “Control Center Gallery”.
With “Lock an App”, individual applications can also be protected from unauthorized access using biometric data, such as Touch or Face ID.
Communication: New effects, more overview
Apple Messages, meanwhile, will receive a feature that allows messages to be sent at a set later time – simply called “Send Later”.
The pure text itself can now also be formatted in the usual options, such as fett, italics or crossed outBut it doesn’t stop there; effects such as “shaken” texts were shown.
Apart from that, Apple announced that “central iMessage functions” will be activated via satellite. However, pho tos are not included, as their data traffic is encrypted using end-to-end encryption.
The last point in the area of communication: The Mail app can automatically sort the inbox into different categories. This is how Apple promises to at least help you get a better overview.
Photos app: The “biggest redesign ever”
Craig Federighi proudly announced the “biggest redesign ever” for the Photos app. But don’t expect a major visual overhaul here; it’s more about pure functionality.
New “collections,” i.e. classic photo collections, are to be filtered according to various themes. Examples mentioned were time, favorite memories or travel. In addition, iOS 18 now recognizes entire groups of people and also sorts the associated photos into their own groups.
A keynote without artificial intelligence?
This is where the presentation of iOS 18 ends – contrary to initial expectations, nothing has been revealed (yet) about AI features. To be continued?
After just over an hour, the time had come: With “Apple Intelligence,” the company is introducing a “new, personal and intelligent assistant.”
At the beginning of the new section, Apple revealed generative AI that is “deeply integrated into Apple platforms.” This includes established applications such as text corrections, generating comics using people’s images, or summarizing notifications.
Focus on privacy
As has been discussed several times in past leaks, “Apple Intelligence” officially focuses on user privacy.
Although the underlying system has access to all data, the entire architecture behind it is supposed to be private. This is only possible because the chips also come from Apple itself.
The new Siri functions will not only be brought to the iPhone, the iPad and Mac will also benefit from AI.
Siri becomes more personal
Siri is celebrating its 13th anniversary this year, so it’s time for an update that is, of course, powered by AI features.
The assistant is supposed to act in a “more natural, relevant and personal” manner. According to Apple, hundreds of actions are in the works that, depending on the user’s needs, can be used to help with operating the iPhone or finding certain documents on the hard drive.
Not only the word processing functions mentioned above are obvious for Apple Intelligence, but an image generator is also a priority for the company. Apple calls this “Image Playground”.
The (literally) “playground for images” is supposed to be included in all kinds of applications, such as the news app. Users should be able to access predefined categories or specify their own prompts.
Federighi concludes by promising that the well-known models will also be seamlessly integrated into Apple systems. The first step will be ChatGPT, which can be used directly in Siri and is based on the current ChatGPT4-o model – but not until later in the year.
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