Technology

IIE Digital Desk: Ongoing speculations suggest that Apple is planning for a major update with the release of iOS 18. Aligned with that, a new report indicates that the iOS 18 will likely be one the most substantial iOS updates to date by the tech giant. It is expected to introduce features such as Rich Communication Services (RCS) support and an AI-powered Siri. Here are the expected features of iOS 18.

iOS 18 might be Apple’s one of the ‘biggest’ updates

Via Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman mentioned that iOS 18 could become the most significant software update in iPhone history. He intends to provide more information about the specific features and changes in iOS 18 in the future. However, two anticipated additions to the update include RCS support and an AI-powered Siri.

RCS support

An anticipated update is the inclusion of RCS support in the built-in Messages app.

Apple has previously confirmed its plan to introduce RCS support for iPhones in 2024, enabling cross-platform functionalities between iOS and Android devices.

The expected enhancements encompass features such as higher-resolution media sharing, improved group chats, read receipts, typing indicators, location sharing, and Wi-Fi-based messaging.

Some of these features are accessible in iPhone-to-iPhone chats with blue bubbles through iMessage, as well as in various third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

With the introduction of RCS support on iPhones, these features will now extend to conversations with green bubbles within the Messages app.

AI-powered Siri

Apple will likely introduce generative AI capabilities to iOS using its large language model (LLM).

This transformation will extend to Siri and other native apps like Messages.

The AI features aim to enhance Siri’s ability to handle field questions and provide auto-complete suggestions for sentences.

Apple is said to be exploring generative AI features for various applications, including Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, Xcode, and Shortcuts.

These features are designed to enable seamless task automation, particularly for handling complex tasks.

It is worth noting that the iOS 18 is set to launch in September, with the initial beta for developers expected to be released during Apple’s annual developers conference – the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), in June. More details about iOS 18 and its features are expected to be revealed as the date for the event approaches.