Apple has big plans for the upcoming version of the iOS operating system. As of iOS 18, the iPhone is completely on the AI ​​hype train.

After the rather modest iOS 17 update, Apple wants to go big with iOS 18. This was said by none other than CEO Tim Cook in a conversation with investors. Earlier this week, Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman predicted that there would be big changes to Apple’s mobile operating system. The magic word is – you guessed it – AI.

AI in your smartphone is nothing new in itself. Just think of the virtual voice assistants Google Assistant and Siri, which have been around for a decade, and smartphone cameras are also packed with algorithmic features to improve the quality of your images. But the Android camp, spurred on by Google and Samsung, has moved up a gear by integrating AI into everyday smartphone functions. Google is installing an AI chip in the processor of its latest Pixel smartphones and Samsung is relying on the S24 devices Galaxy AI. Then Apple and iOS cannot lag behind.

Which AI features will actually come to iOS 18 remains a mystery. Cook wasn’t tempted to shut him up. “Looking forward, we will continue to invest in these and other technologies that will shape the future. This also applies to artificial intelligence, in which we are still investing an enormous amount of time and effort. We look forward to sharing the details of our work in this area later this year,” Cook said in a well-prepared statement.

Later more

Normally, Apple will unveil the new iOS version in June during WWDC. Then we’ll know if Cook is walking his talk or just talking about AI because that’s the acronym investors want to hear today. But iOS is already facing major changes. Apple will allow sideloading in the European Union starting with iOS 17.4. This action must be taken in the context of the Digital Markets Act, although there is still much debate about Apple’s proposed implementation.