It’s almost time for WWDC 2024, with the event kicking off on June 10, and this is certainly where we’ll get our first official look at iOS 18.
This should be worth paying attention to, as leaks suggest that iOS 18 could be a massive overhaul of Apple’s smartphone operating system, with major AI features added and big changes to both the look of the interface and the way it works. you deal with it.
This could be exactly what iOS needs to stay fresh and current – and to catch up with rivals like Samsung and Google, who already have a lot of AI built into their phones.
But while this all sounds promising, there are five specific upgrades I’d really like to see in iOS 18, and I’ve listed them below.
1. An AI photo editor that rivals Google’s
Google has packed the Pixel 8 with all kinds of AI magic, including a slew of photo editing tools. For example, it allows you to move or remove objects in images, make things appear larger or smaller, blur images, adjust the position or brightness of light sources, change the color of the sky, and more.
Not all of these work perfectly all the time, but they’re pretty impressive overall and will certainly only get better as Google’s AI capabilities improve.
On the iPhone, there’s nothing that comes close (at least not in first-party apps), but it’s something I’d like to see Apple add with iOS 18.
Of course, you could argue that editing images as heavily as Google now allows could make them fake, rather than in any way replicating reality. That’s a bigger discussion, but I think the ability to adjust imperfect images to capture them closer to what you wanted or hoped for is certainly valuable.
I’m not optimistic that Apple will easily let you deviate from reality with its photo editing tools, but we could at least see AI used to optimize lighting and colors in images.
2. A ChatGPT-like overhaul for Siri
Even before the arrival of ChatGPT, Siri felt like it was being left behind by rival services like Google Assistant, Alexa, and even Bixby, as it was often unable to understand questions or fulfill requests. And now that ChatGPT and other AI-powered chatbots have arrived, it’s starting to feel even more outdated.
So more than anything in iOS, Siri is in desperate need of some improvements, and an AI overhaul would be obvious.
I’d like to see Siri be able to perform complex, multi-part requests and follow the thread of an entire conversation.
And there are signs that some or all of this could be coming to Siri, with several leaks pointing to an AI overhaul for Siri – one that may even be powered by ChatGPT.
3. Spam call alerts
Spam and scam calls are a constant annoyance, and where on Android I can at least use a third-party app like Truecaller to provide live caller ID, on the iPhone there’s no such functionality.
Truecaller exists, but to identify unknown callers with it you have to pay a subscription and then ask Siri to search Truecaller’s database every time an unknown number appears on your phone.
So with iOS 18, I would at least like Apple to allow Truecaller and similar apps to display live caller ID on the call screen so I can easily identify, ignore, and block spam calls. But better yet, I’d like to see Apple build a similar system into iOS.
Due to the sheer number of people using iPhones, the database could eclipse that of third-party apps, making spam and scam calls much less annoying. Unfortunately, there’s no indication that Apple is working on this, so I don’t expect it to happen in iOS 18, but I live in hope.
4. A fully customizable control center
Right now, Apple only allows very limited customization of Control Center, about half of which is immutable, but I’d like to see it become fully customizable with iOS 18.
That way you could choose exactly which shortcuts and controls you want to have access to, and which you don’t. And you don’t waste space on things you never use.
There’s a chance this will happen, as a recent leak suggests Apple is testing a redesigned Control Center that will be easier to customize, but it doesn’t indicate whether you’ll be able to customize everything in there.
5. An overhaul of the Camera app
For all the talk of iOS being intuitive, I’d say this isn’t always the case, with the Camera app being a prime example.
The settings are split between the app itself and the phone’s main menu, certain modes and features, like burst mode and long exposures, are somewhat hidden, and many options require a swipe to show up – which is useful if Once you know that, it won’t be clear to everyone.
So I’d like to see Apple work on the Camera app to make its various features clearer and less hidden.
Will this happen? Some reports say that iOS 18 will get a visual overhaul, so changes to the Camera app are very possible, but it remains to be seen if these changes will solve my problems with it.