iOS iterations and version updates launch every year, but it's been a long time since there has been a truly big one -- and iOS 18 may be it. Apple apparently sees the upcoming iOS 18 update as one of the biggest in the history of the company.
The information comes from Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter. Gurman says that Apple is seeing iOS 18 as one of the biggest updates to its mobile operating system. While we don't know exactly what kind of overhaul Apple is planning, we have a faint idea of what may make this update as grand as Apple thinks.
AI, RCS, and more for iOS 18?
Gurman didn't have details about the changes we can expect in iOS 18 just yet. He only revealed that Apple seems to have a lofty vision, internally.
"I'm told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company's history."
There are a few things we can expect from the update, however. We've heard that Apple is working on adding AI to the iPhone, likely with Siri. The rumor hinted at Apple adding AI to Siri, with iOS 18. It's possible that Apple has that in store, especially given that the AI wave has hit smartphones hard recently.
We've also seen Apple announce that RCS support is coming to the iPhone. The launch window was revealed to be sometime in 2024, which could very well mean that Apple will launch it as a key feature of iOS 18.
It's likely that more changes will be bundled into iOS 18 in anticipation of larger regulatory actions. Alternative app stores are on the way, so iOS 18 could include major changes to accommodate those. We expect to hear more in the coming weeks, leading to the likely iOS 18 announcement at WWDC 2024 in June.
