Apple's upcoming iOS 18 operating system for iPhones is poised for a significant overhaul, as revealed at the company's WWDC 2024 developer conference later this month. Reports suggest that iOS 18 will be the most substantial upgrade in the Cupertino tech giant's history, with plans to enhance many key apps using generative AI. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one notable update will be a revamped Settings app, featuring a cleaner interface, better organisation, and greatly improved search capabilities.
Additionally, the Control Center will see enhancements, including a new 'Now Playing' music widget and improved HomeKit smart home controls.
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Apple's Move For Gen AI
Gurman in his weekly newsletter reiterated that Apple is planning to integrate the power of Gen AI to give a much-needed overhaul. According to reports, the iPhone maker is expected to use Gen AI to improve many of its core apps, including Photos, Messages, Notes and the Safari browser.
Apple is expected to give its Siri voice assistant a significant AI-powered upgrade. The digital assistant will likely be powered by Apple's own Large Language Model (LLM), enabling it to support individual features within apps for the first time.
Recently, the Tim Cook-led company was reported to have signed a major deal with OpenAI to integrate generative AI capabilities into iOS 18. According to reports, many of the new features could run on-device, helping Apple stand out from the competition.
Using on-device AI offers several clear advantages, including enhanced privacy, the ability to function offline or in areas with poor internet connectivity, and faster response times. However, on-device large language models (LLMs) are not supported by massive servers with billions of parameters—like those powering most commercial chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini—and thus may not be as powerful or knowledgeable in many cases.