When the presumed iPhone 16 lineup is formally introduced on the Apple occasion in lower than every week (here is the right way to watch it), it would embrace iOS 18, which Apple already detailed at its developer convention earlier this 12 months. However in case you’re not planning to improve to a more moderen iPhone mannequin this 12 months, you may be left behind with an working system that is not supported by Apple.
Typically every year, some older iPhone fashions are faraway from Apple’s iOS eligibility record. Final 12 months, for example, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X had been left off the compatibility record. That meant these iPhone homeowners could not replace to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable options.
We’ll make it easier to discover out in case your iPhone will help iOS 18, in addition to Apple Intelligence. Undecided what’s coming with the brand new replace? Here is a abstract of the most important bulletins from WWDC, together with an summary of iOS 18.
iPhones appropriate with iOS 18
We’ve excellent news: If you happen to had an eligible cellphone final 12 months whenever you up to date to iOS 17, that machine ought to nonetheless be appropriate with iOS 18, in accordance with Apple. Which means you will not have to purchase a brand new cellphone to take a look at a lot of the new software program options.
Put one other manner, you probably have an iPhone from the 2017 mannequin 12 months or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you’ll be able to’t improve to the newest iOS, however your cellphone ought to proceed to work — albeit with out the newest bells and whistles.
Is your iPhone appropriate with Apple Intelligence?
Whereas your older machine will nonetheless be capable to help the newest iOS, likelihood is that you simply will not get to attempt the Apple Intelligence beta but. Except you’ve an iPhone 15 Professional or iPhone 15 Professional Max — the top-end 2023 fashions — your iPhone is not eligible. It is a secure wager that the brand new iPhone 16 fashions might be totally Apple Intelligence appropriate, however we’ll must await the official particulars on the September 9 occasion.
iOS 18 new options to count on
Whereas Apple Intelligence is by far the most important replace coming with iOS 18, its options are going to be launched extra piecemeal over the next few months. And the extra superior options will not be obtainable on older iPhone fashions other than the iPhone 15 Professional collection. However the remainder of the iOS 18 options will hit the handsets listed above. Listed below are simply a few of the highlights you’ll be able to count on whenever you obtain Apple’s new software program later this month.
Passwords app: Securely retailer all of your credentials in a single place, together with passwords and safety alerts which you can entry straight within the app. (Whereas this performance at the moment exists in Settings, transferring it to a brand new app ought to make it simpler to find and entry.)
Improved Messages app: A brand new iMessages expertise is bringing the choice to daring, italicize, underline and strikethrough your textual content. You will additionally be capable to add animations to your textual content messages. The replace can be bringing RCS to iPhones to higher help Android compatibility.
An organized photographs library: The Pictures app is getting a redesign, which lets you create and pin your individual collections within the app — suppose “wedding photos” or “trip to Aruba.” It removes the present tabbed backside and leans right into a grid structure. The up to date carousel view that was touted at WWDC was eliminated throughout the beta course of.
Personalised dwelling display screen structure: You will lastly get the choice to rearrange your apps — for example, you’ll be able to go away the center area open to show your private home display screen picture, and as a substitute have your apps alone the border of the display screen. You may also change the looks of the apps by tinting them with any shade, in addition to making the apps bigger.
There are many different tweaks and enhancements to keystone apps like Maps, Calendar, Safari and extra. Try Cherlynn Low’s decisions for the most effective hidden options of iOS 18 and its sibling Apple working system updates, based mostly on the betas launched earlier this 12 months.