Here’s What the iPhone 16 Needs From iOS 18 to Be Truly Great


These days’s the day for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC. The development is going live at 10 a.m. PT and we are nearly unquestionably going to listen to a lot in regards to the subsequent primary model of the iPhone’s running device, which might be referred to as iOS 18.

Final month, AI overshadowed the whole lot else at Google’s I/O developer conference — together with Android 15. However now it is Apple’s flip to preview each AI and non-AI updates coming to the iPhone. And we’ve a number of concepts for options and fixes that Apple must come with in its subsequent primary replace to the iPhone.

For seven months, maximum folks have lived with iOS 17. There were top issues just like the creation of StandBy Mode, Check-In and iMessage stickers. There have additionally been low issues just like the overheating software bug that hit iPhones operating iOS 17, which has since been resolved. For months now we have Journaled, NameDropped and casually sworn in Messages with out the worry of being Autocorrected.

Learn extra: WWDC 2024 Live Blog

What is subsequent for the iPhone? What’s going to my iPhone be like this autumn? Now that the Apple Vision Pro is out will it trade issues?

I do not know.

Positive there are rumors about iOS 18 and the way it will be a large deal, possibly even a bigger deal than the iPhone 16. Like different phone-makers, Apple will most probably flex its hype muscle mass and take a look at to provoke us with some AI magic.

Overlook all that. As an alternative of getting to bet what Apple will do subsequent to our iPhones, I assumed I would compile a few of CNET’s perfect iOS-ers and iPhone customers to inform Apple what we wish in iOS 18.
Patrick Holland

Extra multitasking for the iPhone Professional Max

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone Professional Max’s display has abundant room for a Slide Over panel.

James Martin/CNET

The Dynamic Island is a smart get started, however I want Apple would to find extra tactics to make the most of the Professional Max’s massive display specifically. As I have written up to now, I would love to look a model of Apple’s Slide Over function optimized for its larger-size iPhone.

Slide Over allows you to view a 2nd app in a floating panel alongside the facet of the display. This feels extra helpful on a smartphone-size display in comparison with a cut up view. If Slide Over had been to be had at the iPhone Professional Max, you would be capable to devote lots of the display to a unmarried app, whilst checking any other. I may just see this being helpful for surfing via my e mail inbox whilst holding a watch out for brand new Slack messages, for instance.

— Lisa Eadicicco 

Let the Motion button improve a couple of shortcuts

iPhone 15 Pro Max

From top-to-bottom: Motion button, quantity up button and quantity down button.

James Martin/CNET

One of the crucial new options at the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max is the Motion button, which changed the silent/ring slider button discovered on each and every prior iPhone fashion because it debuted in 2007. In its present setup, I will set the Motion button to cause one shortcut at a time. By means of default, it does precisely the similar factor because the mute slider did prior to it: it might probably toggle between turning at the ringer and placing your iPhone into silent mode. There are a few different choices for it, like opening the Digital camera app and taking a photograph. You’ll be able to also have it run a particular shortcut/automation within the Shortcuts app. In all probability my favourite use is anyone who makes use of their location to modify what the Motion button does like flip it into an order now trigger for a Starbucks latte.
The Motion button works with a unmarried lengthy press, it doesn’t matter what you select for the button to do. Lately, you both want to trade what the Motion button does to get extra use out of it or make some elaborate automations within the Shortcuts app.

Learn extra: Best iPhone to Buy in 2024
I believe there may be much more the Motion button may just do if Apple would let it improve a couple of enter clicks. I may just nonetheless have it as a toggle for ringer/silent mode with a unmarried lengthy press, however do one thing else (like activate/off the flashlight) with a double-long press. I believe this is able to upload such a lot capability to the button and consequently, open it as much as much more other folks taking extra benefit of it.

— Patrick Holland

Extra StandBy Mode functions, please

And iPhone charging with the StandBy screen on

iOS 17 became my iPhone right into a mini-smart house show.

Patrick Holland/CNET

StandBy Mode used to be one among my favourite new options Apple presented with iOS 17. I take advantage of the function on my paintings table day-to-day, and it is great having clean get right of entry to to the elements, time and podcasts. However I would like Apple to broaden this option extra.

For starters, I would like Messages and Mail to make the most of StandBy Mode. At this time, in case your iPhone will get a textual content whilst it is in StandBy Mode, you get a notification, and if you happen to faucet the notification in time, you notice a preview of the message. Another way, you need to take away your iPhone from StandBy Mode to learn the total message and reply.

It could be nice if Apple evolved a StandBy Mode widget for Messages that allows you to see complete messages and reply to them with out exiting StandBy Mode. It could even be great if there used to be a Mail widget for StandBy Mode that allows you to learn emails (like newsletters) and displays you new messages. That approach you’ll be able to regulate your inbox and know if you wish to have to reply to an e mail straight away or in case your newest e mail is simply junk mail.

— Zach McAuliffe

Make Siri extra succesful

Siri on iOS 17

Siri were given a slight makeover on iOS 17, together with two new options that can unquestionably trade the way you have interaction with the non-public voice assistant.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

As a running mother, I nearly at all times have a protracted to-do checklist, and a better Siri would actually help in making my existence more straightforward. At this time, I flip to Siri for lend a hand with elementary duties reminiscent of environment an alarm, creating a reminder or checking the elements. With rumors of large language model integration in Siri, I to find myself envisioning a long run during which an iPhone can get extra advanced duties performed. Such things as reminding me to shop for blueberries when I am close to a grocery store or finding within sight eating places in Hong Kong which are each kid-friendly and dog-friendly.

Fortunate for me, this does not appear to be far-fetched. Huge language fashions must no longer most effective permit Siri to know extra advanced and nuanced questions but in addition allow it to respond to the ones questions extra correctly.

— Sareena Dayaram

Come across language in Messages and translate, por want

Siri translate feature on iPhone

This pop-up will seem on the peak of your telephone, previewing each what you mentioned and the interpretation.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Bilingual families might proportion my factor of Siri desiring to do a greater task of robotically detecting which language is being spoken. At this time the iPhone will spit out gibberish, turning Spanish dictation into English, or English into Spanish, if you happen to disregard to change your keyboard. 

If a voicemail message is left in Spanish, the device can not acknowledge that it is not English and tries to present an English preview that appears like nonsense. Possibly those rumored AI smarts can lend a hand Siri know what language is being spoken.

My Español no es bueno, so it might be useful if my iPhone introduced an English translation of textual content or voice messages despatched to me in Spanish. The Duolingo hen can be mad at me for no longer desiring to apply my Spanish classes anymore, however Duo is at all times mad at me anyway.

— Bridget Carey

Take a look at-in for team chats

Apple explains Take a look at In’s options.

Apple

One in every of my favourite iOS 17 options is Check In, which helps you to proportion with a chum or circle of relatives member that you are heading to a particular location (like possibly coming house from a overdue dinner). Your buddy or circle of relatives member will get a ping permitting them to know you might be at the transfer and while you must be house. They get notified as soon as you’re making it for your vacation spot or if you’re making an sudden forestall alongside the way in which. If one thing occurs to you and you do not get house, your buddy receives a message that still contains information like your closing location and battery stage for your iPhone.
I would like iOS 18 to let me ship a Take a look at-In to a bunch of other folks, no longer only a unmarried individual. At this time, having the ability to get started a Take a look at In with only one individual is excellent, however there are lots of instances I wish to proportion a Take a look at In with extra members of the family or a bunch of pals all on the similar time.

— Patrick Holland

Time table texts in Messages

iphone with messages on screen

You’ll be able to’t agenda a Message to be despatched.

Apple/Screenshot through James Martin

With the ability to agenda texts in Messages can be an enormous plus. Texting family and friends in several time zones is at all times a sport of math as a result of I do not wish to textual content them when they’re nonetheless snoozing. Yeah, I could be texting them at 8 a.m. ET, however they’re nonetheless asleep since it is 5 a.m. PT for them. I extensively utilized to paintings the 3rd shift, and there have been instances once I’d wish to textual content a chum and ask them a query or simply to speak, however who desires to be awoken to a textual content message at 5 a.m.? Only a few other folks, as I got here to determine.

Scheduling texts to ship in Messages would lend a hand alleviate those problems. Different messaging apps already assist you to agenda messages to ship later, together with Android, so it is time for Apple to rise up to hurry with others. Some other folks would possibly say that there is a Shortcut you’ll be able to allow for your iPhone to ship messages at a later time, however I would argue that if you need to use a workaround to get one thing to paintings, it is not in reality running. Apple must take a cue from Android and let other folks agenda messages to ship at a later time. Individuals who are living in several time zones than their family and friends or paintings bizarre shifts will thanks.

— Zach McAuliffe

Upload a professional digital camera app

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone wishes a professional digital camera app.

James Martin/CNET

It is time for Apple to revisit the iPhone’s Digital camera app. For years, it used to be the gold usual of simplicity, providing a “see what you get” preview for pictures, movies and results with minimum, easy-to-navigate controls and modes. As Apple has added extra capability, particularly for ProRaw pictures, ProRes video recording and spatial movies, the Digital camera app has began to really feel cramped. It tries to stay a one-size-fits-all app on the expense of higher-end options like guide digital camera controls.

I would like Apple to make a separate professional digital camera app, alongside the traces of the way it created a standalone app for classical track. Apple Tune Classical tackles the particular problem of categorizing, on the lookout for, and finding classical track, one thing the default Apple Tune app is not aimed at. In a similar fashion, the professional digital camera app can be a position for inventive sorts to get right of entry to digital camera controls, settings and lines past the ones within the elementary digital camera app. Sony has been rather a success with this kind of method in its Xperia 1 and 5 sequence telephones, and Samsung has a separate Professional Uncooked app to enrich its primary one.

Now it is Apple’s flip.

— Patrick Holland

I Took 600+ Footage With the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max. Have a look at My Favorites

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