iOS 18 rumors and release date: Everything we know so far about the iPhone update

APPLE'S iOS 18 – the software that will be released hand-in-hand with the iPhone 16 – will be the 'biggest update in the company's history'.

According to reports, it will be packed with features powered by artificial intelligence (AI), as well as a much smarter version of Siri.

In a new report today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple sees iOS 18 as “one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company's history.”

“Apple's head of software engineering, Craig Federighi, told employees last year that the operating system – codenamed Crystal – will see ambitious changes across the board,” Gurman reports.

What AI features will there be in iOS 18?

One of the most anticipated updates in iOS 18 is a new and improved Siri.

Gurman expects Apple to inject its beloved voice assistant with what's known as generative AI.

This is the same AI technology used in ChatGPT, for example, which allows the chatbot to respond to questions as if it were a human.

It means that Siri – like ChatGPT – will be trained to interact with large language models, containing a billion or more pieces of language data.

Generative AI technology “should improve the way both Siri and the Messages app can ask questions and autocomplete sentences,” said Gurman, who has a strong history with Apple leaks.

A separate report from The Information states that this feature is expected to be released in an iPhone software update in 2024, which will likely be iOS 18.

Apple has also reportedly explored generative AI features for other apps, including Apple Music, Pages, Keynote and Xcode.

In Apple Music, AI can be used to create “auto-generated playlists.”

Will iOS 18 include RCS support?

In October, Apple made the surprise bulletin that RCS Support is coming to iPhones sometime in 2024.

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is the successor to SMS and MMS.

It will add a number of iMessage-like features to text messages between iPhone and Android users, including:

• Higher resolution photos and videos
• Audio messages
• Type indicators
• Read the receipts
• Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices
• Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that Android users are also a part of
• Improved encryption compared to SMS
• Share location with people in text threads

These modern features are already available to blue-bubble iMessage users in iPhone-to-iPhone calls.

But they are not available when texting Android devices from an iPhone.

When will iOS 18 be released?

iOS 18 is expected to be announced at Apple's WWDC, which typically takes place in the first or second week of June.

The timeline from announcement to release varies.

After the official unveiling, the shiny new operating system will be released to developers for beta testing.

A public beta will likely arrive in July 2024, followed by a general public release in September.

When it will go live in September is another mystery.

But here's a look at recent iOS release dates for inspiration:

Read more about Artificial Intelligence

Everything you need to know about the latest developments in artificial intelligence