Apple is preparing to overhaul iOS for iPhone by integrating generative artificial intelligence at the operating system level. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iOS 18 will be the biggest software update in iPhone history.
“I’m told that the new operating system is considered within the company to be one of the most important, if not the most important, iOS updates in the company’s history,” Gurman noted in his weekly newsletter on Bloomberg.
According to Gurman, Apple should integrate generative AI into iOS 18 and “should improve the way Siri and the Messages app can answer questions and auto-complete sentences.” The American tech giant has been exploring ways to add generative AI. features to other apps on its platform, such as Apple Music, Pages, Keynote, etc.
The New York Times reported earlier that Apple had contacted major news and publishing organizations for permission to use their hardware to train its generative AI systems. Media outlets contacted by the company include Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue and the New Yorker; IAC, which owns People, the Daily Beast and Better Homes and Gardens; and NBC News.
READ: Apple opens the iPhone ecosystem in the EU: what it means for consumers and developers
While iOS-related announcements are expected at Apple’s developer conference later this year, the company is currently preparing to refresh its iPad and MacBook lineup. Gurman in his previous newsletter said that several new iPads and the next batch of MacBooks equipped with M3 chips are expected to be launched in March. According to Gurman, Apple is also expected to introduce new accessories for iPads, including new Magic Keyboards and Apple Pencils.
The next iPad Pro model is expected to come in two screen sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch. The 2024 model would likely be the first to feature an OLED display panel. The iPad Air will also likely feature a larger 12.9-inch panel, up from its predecessor’s 10.9-inch panel. For the next MacBook Air, Apple will likely upgrade it to the M3 chipset and add support for Wi-Fi 6E.
First publication: January 30, 2024 | 11:35 a.m. STI
