iOS 18 may inject more fun into the iPhone experience. In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that AI-generated emojis will be among the new features Apple plans to showcase at WWDC next month. As if the current emoji library weren’t overwhelming enough, Gurman writes that the company “is developing software that can create custom emojis on the fly, based on what users are texting.” I, for one, cannot wait to see the creative and possibly bizarre results that will come from this feature.
Read: Uber offering Election Day discounts on two rides
Apple is also reportedly giving iPhone users more customization options for their apps and home screen. This includes the ability to change the color of app icons and arrange them more freely, moving away from the traditional grid layout. This change, especially the ability to freely arrange icons, would be significant for Apple and a welcome feature for users eager to personalize their home screens. However, it’s important to remember that these are still rumours, so nothing is confirmed yet.
There has been a lot of speculation about Apple’s AI plans leading up to its annual developers conference, which kicks off on June 10. Instead of debuting anything too flashy at this stage, Gurman suggests Apple will focus on practical applications for AI technology. Apple is expected to announce a partnership with OpenAI and, according to Gurman, may integrate AI enhancements into features like Safari searches, Siri, photo retouching, and voice memo transcriptions. The company might also introduce smart recaps for notifications, web pages, and more.
In summary, iOS 18 could bring a range of exciting new features to the iPhone, from AI-generated emojis to more home screen customization options. While these features are still unconfirmed, they reflect Apple’s potential focus on practical AI applications, aiming to enhance the user experience in meaningful ways. We’ll have to wait for the official announcements at WWDC to see which of these rumoured features make it into the final release.
