In what’s presumably a rare occurrence, Apple reportedly put a pause on development of the next major iOS update— iOS 18— last month so it could build something “ambitious and compelling,” and make the next iPhone— iPhone 16— “extra-impressive.”
According to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Cupertino’s prepping “major new features and designs, in addition to security and performance improvements” with the next version of iPhone and iPad software after a few years of “modestly sized updates.” While the exact feature set remains unknown, generative AI is pegged as a major area of focus, even as Apple races to catch up with Google and Microsoft-owned OpenAI. Also, Samsung, some might say.
Apple has been extra cautious with words on AI though CEO Tim Cook has stressed that it is fundamental in the current scenario with great potential to make people’s lives better. During the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter 2023 earnings call, Cook spoke about Apple’s investments in generative AI and intent to approach the tech responsibly aligning with its values and so features you’d end up seeing in iPhone or iPad based on AI could be used for good.
The next major iOS update is also important from another aspect. It needs to be spot-on to drive sales for the next iPhone. Gurman notes that the iPhone 16’s hardware may not see a big overhaul (relative to the iPhone 15 presumably) and so, Apple would be banking heavily on software features to make their case.
The last couple of iterations have increasingly focused on enabling deeper customisations on iPhone, largely seen as an Android forte. But as convincing as they are, they are mere manual aesthetic changes, in a world where Google lets its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users let AI design and pick wallpapers, literally at the press of a button while the Photos app brings extensive photo and video editing, again backed by AI. Even Samsung has beaten Apple to the AI punch by announcing its Gauss language model and Galaxy AI mobile AI experience that’s set to debut on its upcoming Galaxy S24 series smartphones. It would be interesting to see how things pan out for Apple’s AI ambitions and what the future holds for iPhone and iPad.
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