iOS 18 could be Apple's most 'ambitious' update: Here's why
What's the story
Apple is said to be planning major enhancements for its upcoming operating system, iOS 18, which is set to be revealed at next year's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman states that the tech giant refers to the forthcoming operating system as "ambitious and compelling."
The anticipated upgrades include "major new features and designs," security improvements, and performance boosts along with a whole bunch of artificial intelligence features.
Details
Focus on generative AI and software upgrades
Reportedly, Apple is concentrating on generative AI with iOS 18 to rival Google and OpenAI.
Gurman highlights that iOS 18 will come "after a few years of modestly sized updates" and that "the next version of the iPhone software" could be "relatively groundbreaking."
However, there isn't much information yet on what the new features are.
Furthermore, the new iPhone 16 isn't expected to receive a hardware update. Instead, Apple intends to entice customers with fresh software enhancements in iOS 18.
Developments
Apple recently paused development on major software updates
Gurman's report also notes that Apple's head of software engineering, Craig Federighi, recently chose to halt development on new major software updates with the iOS 18, to concentrate on bug fixes and optimize performance.
Apple previously made such a move in 2019 to address issues with bugs and feature delays that caused hiccups on iPhones during launch day.
Insights
iOS 18 will be unveiled during 2024's WWDC event
Despite the brief halt in feature development for iOS 18, Gurman believes this will not have a significant impact on the software's final release.
In the worst-case scenario, Apple may have "a little less time at the end of the development cycle to eliminate any last-minute glitches."
With seven months left until the 2024 WWDC event, many aspects of iOS 18 could change before its debut and public rollout.
Apple's last major overhaul was iOS 14 in 2020.