Apple iOS 18 release date announcement: When you can download it
In addition to releasing its new iPhones, Apple is introducing its newest operating system, iOS 18.
Here's everything you should be aware of regarding the new iOS that comes with the iPhone 16 series. Image source: Apple.
During its "It's Glowtime" event on September 9, Apple introduced the new Apple Watch Series 10, updated AirPods, and the highly anticipated iPhone 16 series. In addition to these new smartphones, the company is also rolling out its newest operating system for iPhones, iOS 18.
Apple revealed iOS 18 during the WWDC event in June, showcasing a variety of exciting new features. These enhancements include fresh options for arranging your Home Screen, a customizable Control Center, and the standout feature known as Apple Intelligence.
Beta testers have had the chance to explore many of these features for a while, but with the public launch, you can finally access them too. Here’s what you should know.
Release Date For IOS 18 Announced
Apple typically launches updated versions of iOS together with its latest iPhones. If you're not part of the beta testing program, you'll be able to download and install iOS 18 starting on September 16, just a few days ahead of the new iPhone release on September 20.
However, when you do access it, you won’t have access to every feature that Apple revealed back in June. Certain smart home functionalities, for instance, are set to be introduced in iOS 18.1, which doesn’t have a confirmed launch date yet. This means you’ll need to be patient before you can try them. Additionally, there’s Apple Intelligence, which follows its own schedule for release.
What's New In IOS 18? Discover The Updates!
iOS 18 introduces an array of exciting new features. A lot of these enhancements focus on customization, giving users the ability to tailor their devices to their preferences.
In addition to Apple Intelligence, one of the most talked-about features is something that former Android users have been wanting—a more flexible Home Screen. With iOS 18, you'll have the freedom to arrange your apps anywhere on the screen (as long as they're within the grid) instead of being stuck with the usual left-to-right, top-to-bottom layout. Plus, there are new options for a Dark mode and Tinted Home Screen, allowing you to customize the colors of your wallpaper and app icons.
The Control Center is gaining more options for personalization. In iOS 18, you’ll be able to set up and modify multiple pages within the Control Center, making it simpler to arrange and resize your current controls. This means you could have an entire page focused solely on your smart home settings, or you can organize only the controls that matter most to you on one screen, positioning them exactly how you like.
Many of Apple's built-in applications are being updated with new functionalities. iMessage, for instance, will allow users to react to messages with any emoji as a Tapback option. You’ll also be able to format your text with underline and italics, plus there’s the addition of RCS support, which improves messaging between different platforms. The Photos app is also getting a refreshed, streamlined single-page layout, and you’ll have the ability to lock certain apps using Face ID, enhancing the security of your private information. Additionally, passwords will be relocated from the Settings menu to their dedicated Passwords app.
Apple Intelligence is likely the standout highlight of iOS 18. This is the term Apple uses for its collection of new AI capabilities. However, gaining access to these features isn't as easy as just installing iOS 18. The initial set of Apple Intelligence functions won't be ready until iOS 18.1, which is anticipated to be released around the end of October, following the pattern of previous iOS updates.
When iOS 18.1 launches, it won't include all the Apple Intelligence features that Apple introduced back in June. The current beta version of iOS 18.1 offers fresh writing tools for generating and summarizing text, automatic reply suggestions in Messages, the ability to record and transcribe phone calls, and summary notifications for both Messages and Mail apps. It's highly probable that these features will be included in the final release of iOS 18.1, unless Apple encounters any issues and chooses to remove them, which seems unlikely.
There are some features that no one outside of Apple has tried yet, but these will probably be introduced in a future iOS 18 update. Among these features are notable ones like Image Playground, Genmoji for creating new emojis, improvements to Siri (including integration with ChatGPT), and on-screen awareness. These represent some of the key elements of Apple Intelligence, but the company is taking a cautious approach to AI development. They have even mentioned that certain features won't be available until 2025, although they did confirm that ChatGPT integration should be ready by the end of 2024, so it’s likely that other Siri improvements will be released around the same time.
However, it's possible that certain features might be postponed if Apple decides to keep them under wraps for a while longer.
Devices Compatible With IOS 18
iOS 18 will be compatible with all the devices that currently support iOS 17, which is excellent news for users with older models. However, it's worth noting that not all of these devices will have access to Apple Intelligence. Only the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all models in the iPhone 16 lineup will receive the new AI functionalities.
Here's a list of devices that will receive the iOS 18 update.
Sure! Here's a rephrased version of that section: iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12 series: 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max.
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS and XS Max
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