Evolution of iPhone home screen across iOS updates
I used to anticipate iOS releases for months in advance, scouring the internet for any potential ‘leaks’ (as if Apple would ever do that). I distinctly remember my excitement when seeing iOS 7 for the first time. The UI was clean, modern, and beautiful with all new app designs and a glass-like appearance. Exciting interactions like Airdrop, Safari page flipping, and Siri’s ability to control your phone with voice commands. It was so cool!
Well, iOS 7 was released back in 2013, and my excitement for the new updates really hasn’t come close since. I barely take notice anymore as updates come and go. However, the latest update might just change that. I recently read an article that argued the iOS 18 update that launched last week may be the largest change since iOS 7. So the question becomes: is iOS 18 as groundbreaking as anticipated? Is it worthy of the same excitement as iOS 7? I’ll be diving into some of the new features and giving my thoughts.
Although Apple Intelligence won’t appear until later this fall in the iOS 18 update, it’s expected to be a great leap in innovation for Apple. Apple Intelligence will offer a slew of new capabilities powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) - including custom emojis, writing tools, image generation, prioritized notifications, automatic phone transcripts, and object removal in photos, to name a few.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior VP of Software Engineering, introducing Apple Intelligence
“Apple Intelligence is deeply enriching your experience with your iPhone, your iPad, and your Mac by bringing the power of generative models and personal context, and understanding of you and who you are in a really private—ways to enhance your whole experience on your devices.” -Craig Federighi (Apple, SVP of Software Engineering)
At first glance, I thought the features like writing tools and custom emojis felt a bit gimmicky for Apple. It seemed like they were trying to play catch-up with more agile third-party applications which have already integrated generative AI.
However, the inclusion of ‘personal context’ has the potential to really change the game. Earlier this year, ChatGPT tried this out with the launch of a memory function, which learns from your prompt history to help tailor future prompts. But that’s only the data you choose to enter directly into ChatGPT. Now, given that you use your phone every single day, imagine how much data Apple will have to tailor your responses! Siri will now be able to dig through your messages to tell you the movie recommendation your friend sent two weeks ago.
It’s scary how much Apple will know about you, but it’ll result in a very personalized experience. Of course, this opens up a Pandora’s box of privacy concerns.
Apple says they are taking a number of privacy precautions: “[Apple Intelligence] is designed to protect your privacy at every step… so it’s aware of your personal information without collecting your personal information.” They claim that they are never storing user data when it is sent to the cloud.
I’m a little skeptical - if not about data storage then still the potential bias of AI models, particularly for providing health-related recommendations. Personally I plan to take this risk and share my data to try out the Apple Intelligence features, but I do think Apple should ensure users have the option to opt out of this Apple Intelligence data-sharing altogether.