This is the launch date of iOS 18

This is the launch date of iOS 18 Picture 1

In an announcement early on the morning of March 27, Apple confirmed that WWDC 2024, the annual conference for programmers, will take place from June 10-14. Similar to previous times, activities at this year's event are held online and are free to participate.

Traditionally, WWDC is the place to introduce new operating system versions. During the opening event on June 10, Apple will introduce iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, tvOS 18 and visionOS 2.

Besides basic upgrades, a series of features based on artificial intelligence (AI) are likely to be the focus of the event.

In a post on social network X, Greg Joswiak, Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, said that WWDC 2024 will be "Absolutely Incredible". In it, he deliberately capitalized the first two letters as AI.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, iOS 18 will integrate a series of AI features, helping to "manage the lives" of users.

Features based on machine learning are not too strange for Apple devices. However, with the explosion of generative AI, Apple does not want to stand aside. When launching the MacBook Air M3 at the beginning of the month, the company also emphasized that this was "the world's best popular laptop for AI".

Previously, The Verge reported that Apple spent millions of dollars every day to train its own AI language models, with content provided by media agencies such as Condé Nast or NBC News.

Apple is also negotiating with Google, OpenAI, Anthropic and Baidu (in China) to integrate the major language model into iOS 18. The company can also expand the ecosystem for developers to integrate AI into devices. bag.

Rumors say AI features on iOS 18 will revolve around the Siri assistant, music suggestions when listening to Apple Music, writing documents in iWork, suggesting message content and many other improvements.

Besides AI, iOS 18 is rumored to expand interface customization capabilities, allowing space between icons/widgets.

The next change worth waiting for is the RCS (Rich Communication Services) cross-platform messaging standard. With this protocol, iPhone users can send high-quality photos, share read/enter message status with Android smartphones via Wi-Fi network.

After launch, the operating system will be tested by programmers and users before its official release in the fall, when the iPhone 16 hits shelves.

Hardware is also something worth waiting for at WWDC 2024. Rumors say that Apple may launch two new AirPods models, including a low-cost model (successor to AirPods 2) and a model that supports active noise cancellation (upgraded for AirPods 2). AirPods 3).

At WWDC 2023, Apple introduced Vision Pro glasses, 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro M2. In 2022, Apple introduced two new devices at WWDC, including MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 inch M2.

Although the entire conference takes place online, Apple will invite a number of students and developers to the company's headquarters in Cupertino on June 10 to watch the opening keynote and in-depth sharing (State of the Union), Apple Design Award ceremony and participate in a number of activities throughout the day.

Lesley Montoya

Update 04 April 2024