iOS 18 assessment: wide customization with a squeeze of AI

iOS 18 review
Apple surprised us with iOS 18, offering more customization and control. Investors and analysts were eager to learn more about Apple’s AI plan. Now that we know Apple Intelligence is a slow release, mainly limited to new hardware it is clear that iOS 18 is more than AI. You probably heard that customization was one of the main reasons for choosing Android during the peak of the Android vs iPhone battles in the 2010s. Apple’s grid of icons looked like a joke compared to the amusement-park home screens on Android. Apple has finally given users options, something they never gave them before. The idea of a personalized iPhone was born with the advent of alternate app icons. Apple Intelligence isn’t yet available for testing, even though it appears impressive. This review will concentrate on iOS 18 without AI, since that is how iOS will look to most people in the world. Funny enough, nearly every feature seems to have something to do with customization. iOS 18 review: customization improvements Apple has slowly introduced customization features to iOS 14 since it introduced widgets to the Home Screen. iOS 18 review: customization is upgraded with dark icons and blank spaceIt’s not just about tinting icons or negative spaces on the Home Screen — it’s all about control. Combining interactive widgets, custom icon, negative space, custom lock screens, wallpapers and Focus Modes will give you a device that’s truly yours. Apple has found ways to customize user interfaces even outside of launching operating system portions like the Home Screen Lock Screen and Control Center. Safari, for example, has Tab Groups and profiles that change depending on the Focus mode and can offer different start pages for each. Photos in iOS 18 allows users to customize the layout of the app. The interface shows different albums and smart groups, new ones can also be added. It’s a highly customizable interface. Focus Filters are the only thing missing in app icon tinting, and from the new Photos apps. Imagine entering Work Focus, where Photos only displays albums that are related to product photography and screenshots. Let’s look at the specifics. Home Screen & Lock Screen Apple has added several new customization options to its Home Screen. These include the ability for users to add tints, darken icons, or adjust icon sizes on the Home Screen. iOS 18 review: Lock Screens, Home Screens now have more customization options. When customizing icons, it affects all icons, including those in the App library, folders and Spotlight search. For now, this setting is fixed no matter which Focus is active. Since years, users have requested the ability to add blank spaces. Apple marketed the feature as a means to reveal parts of a background, such as a pet’s facial features. App icons can be set in a large mode to hide text labels on widgets and icons. If you don’t know the app icon, it can be difficult to identify certain apps in the App Store. iOS 18 review – embrace dark mode, with dark icons and dimmed backgroundDark mode icons are new feature that replaces color palettes of glyph style icons with one with black backgrounds. Apple’s app icon set has never had alternative icons before, and this is a striking change. Apps from third-parties that don’t use complex colors or designs for the background or foreground are also darkened algorithmically. Apple’s algorithmic darkening can produce some interesting results. However, since the change is being forced, developers must optimize their icons or risk having subpar dark icons. Apple’s bright white icons were not acceptable to purists who wanted dark themes and mode. To get the right icons, you had to create custom launchers using Shortcuts. Apple made it easier to theme the Home Screen with iOS 18 by introducing widgets and shortcuts. The tinting feature automatically turns icons into dark mode, and then applies a filter to the elements of an icon. iOS 18 review: tint widgets and icons to achieve a uniform styleIt seems like a crude implementation at first, as it applies the same color filter to all widgets and icons. Apple has allowed developers to submit layered icon sets to take advantage of filtered mode. We’ll see how it looks in the fall. The dark and light icons can be set up to automatically change based on the time of day. This is similar to the system-wide light or dark mode. A sun icon can also be used to dim wallpaper. Apple did not make many changes to the Lock Screen but those that it made were significant. The flashlight and camera buttons were on the Lock Screen ever since iPhone X. Now, they can be replaced by users. iOS 18 review: Change the Lock Screen shortcut buttonI’ve been having some trouble with this upgrade because I always wanted the flashlight there and muscle memory has ruined me on the camera button. I tried Halide as the camera app, but it was difficult to remember which camera I wanted at any given time. After I break my muscle memory, things should be better. One option is to turn the button into a shortcut, which would then run an action-menu. The customizations of the buttons are tied to Lock Screens. This means that they can be changed with Focus. It’ll take some time to figure out what I want there to be different. Control Center Control Center is now a multi-page tool that can be customized by the user. It can include different sizes of icons and controls to control system features and apps from third parties. iOS 18 review: Control Center can be extended to multiple pages and is customizable. It feels redundant to have Home Screen, Lock Screen and Today View with their various ways to access information. Control Center is a unique addition in the customization game because it’s always within reach. Rearrange system controls as you please. You can change the size of the widget to fit a single page or a block, depending on which control you are using. You can create up to 10 new pages after you have filled one. You can easily reach these pages by swiping down from the top-left corner and sliding continuously until you reach the desired page. iOS 18 review: Control Center is customizable to the user’s preferencesIt’s a compelling upgrade even without third-party apps in the beta. It will be interesting to see PCalc, or other unique controls offered by apps like Widgetsmith, as a launcher. It can be a sliding tile puzzle to try and get everything in order once you’ve crammed a page with controls. When you’re trying organize a single icon in a row of icons, it can be frustrating. There’s also no undo button. An undo button could make editing these pages a lot easier. We’re already over 1,000 words into the article and we haven’t even reached feature updates yet. This is how large the customization updates are. Apple didn’t stop at that. Apple’s system apps and services were also updated for iOS 18. Apple redesigned its Photos app, removing the tabbed interface and replacing it with a unified interface. The single view is a bit overwhelming, but it offers some useful customization and organization. iOS 18 review: Apple introduced a new Photos appI’ve met people who don’t know what the Photos app is capable of. It doesn’t do more than show a list in order of capture. The other pages were neglected unless the user needed to recover an image. The unified design should bring some previously hidden features, such as the Memories or Map, to the forefront. Swiping the main library view will bring up custom memories and collection. Below that, you can sort by faces, pets and trips, albums or other criteria. iOS 18 review: Organize Photos app unified views to suit your use caseEverything from the previous Photos app remains in iOS 18, it may just take some time to get used to the new interface. Customizing it to your liking is the key, but it feels like there are only a few options for now. I’d love it if Apple brought Focus Filters to Photos. Allow me to display screenshots and documents under the Work focus. Show people and places under Personal and show food under Fitness. Safari Safari now has a new Highlights function, and Reader View has been upgraded. Highlights can be used to provide quick links from the current page to Maps, music, or other apps. iOS 18 review: Safari adds a new Highlights tool with summaries, quick links and moreIf you open the Reader view it will provide a summary and a table of contents. The summary appears in both the Reader view and Highlights view. Apple Intelligence does not need to be installed for the new Safari features. They use data detectors to pull information from map links, dates and music. I’ve seen tables of contents, summary summaries and Highlights on some older pages. These are useful tools that can help users navigate the web without destroying it. Journal Journal upgrades include new filters and insights for the search tool. These are welcome updates following a relatively stale launch with limited options. iOS 18 review: Journal receives a major update with streaks, search and moreThe journal entry process remains the same. Users can still add text, images or suggestions by tapping the giant plus button. Journal can now be linked to Apple Health, which is a great addition. Journal logs every minute as mindfulness minutes. Users can also log their State of Mind next to the entry. Users can use the search button at the top-right corner to search for keywords or filter entries by content such as photos, activities, or places. There’s a new print option that allows users to export PDFs. iOS 18 review: Log your mindfulness minutes and mood directly from the JournalThe insights screen displays various metrics such as streaks and total words. Apple’s app has added streaks, which are a great way to keep up a healthy journaling habit. The user must actually enter an entry every day or week to qualify for a streak. Backdating entries will not artificially complete a string. I can see that I have an entry for each day since Journal was published in October. I have a 35 week streak as of the publication date, but my longest streak is 44 days due to backfilling some entries. Review of iOS 18: Journal now tracks streaks and other metricsI have also journaled more days than the app’s existence because I manually entered some entries going back to Day One in 2018. Apple Journal is a great way to continue journaling. Thanks to new widgets and metrics, it will be easier than before. It’s not a perfect app, but it’s got a bright future if Apple doesn’t ignore it. I’d like to see third-party applications suggest entries, and that the app be more proactive about generating automatic entries using available data. Apple’s updates for Messages continue to offer users options whether they want them. Tapbacks received a major upgrade and there is a new option to send later, but the rest of it will be used by only a few. iOS 18 review: Messages emoji reactions and Send LaterPreviously, Tapbacks could only be a limited set of colorless emojis. Now they can be any emoji. It’s an easy system that uses the existing interface. Users will probably have no problem adapting. Send Later is a great option for power users and is available in the App drawer. You can select a date or time in the next two weeks and then write the text. Text effects and formatting texts look interesting, but they will likely be abandoned like previous text effects. You’ll find that only a few users know about them, and at least one aunt will overuse them. iOS 18 review: Text effects can be applied to each word in an iMessage. I’m curious to see how these are adopted outside of geek audiences. The text effects section is prominently displayed in the suggestions bar beneath the text box. This may make it easier for users to discover than a long-press. RCS was the biggest update in Messages, but it took up the least screen space. The upgrade of green bubble texts to RCS will occur for compatible users and compatible networks. Upgrades include typing indicators, high resolution images and videos, as well as tapbacks. We’re still in the early stages of implementation, so we need to wait until iOS 18 launches to fully understand it. Apple Notes received two major updates: voice memos and math notes. It’s not as good as on iPad but it works. iOS 18 review: Equations auto-populate the answers and voice recordings can be transcribed into Notes. This feature has been available in third-party apps since years. Apple goes a step further and automatically transcribes audio, making it searchable. Users can also add the transcription of the voice memo to the note in text format. The update is relatively minor. The Notes app is now more powerful, so users don’t need to rely on third-party apps for voice recording or transcription. Power users will still likely need other apps. Calendar Reminders were added to Calendar in a seemingly minor, but significant update. It’s a simple integration that allows you to create, manage, and view Reminders along with Calendar events. iOS 18 review: Calendar now shows RemindersIt’s not as complex as Fantastical or other third-party applications. It may, however, be enough for some users to stay with Apple apps as they are “good-enough.” There are a few different views, such as stacked or compact bars for the month view. The single-day view is a crowded interface that crams all of your Reminders onto a tiny scrollable area at the top. This is not ideal if you need to manage a lot in one day. Apple offers a list view that makes it easier to manage multiple Reminders and Calendar events. You may then want to return to the Reminders application. Apple Calendar won’t attract power users, but I am happy to see the integration of Reminders. Apple should continue to add cross-app features like this in future updates. Everything else iOS 18 has a lot of smaller updates and features. I’d like to highlight them here. Apple Intelligence is not available to discuss, but there’s still a lot. iOS 18 review: Passwords and hikes, guest access and game modeThe Password application is a major addition to iOS 18. If you’re familiar, the Password section of Settings only includes network passwords and filters. Apple has added guest access to its Home app. I haven’t had a chance to test it. This is a great feature that will improve my ability to handle visitors and pet sitters while I’m on vacation. Apple Maps now includes hiking routes. This feature is not as detailed as AllTrails but it still provides useful information for well-known trails and national parks. Game Mode is automatically activated when you play a game. However, I would prefer to see it as a Focus filter. You don’t necessarily need game mode to play Sudoku. But if you connect your game controller, you’re ready to do more serious gaming. iOS 18 review: Locking and hiding apps, SharePlay via HomePod, Contacts privacy and Home WeatherSharePlay is now available on AirPlay and Bluetooth devices such as HomePod and Beats Pill. I love the implementation of CarPlay, and am happy that it’s available to everyone now, even those without Apple Music subscriptions. It’s been a while since we could hide and lock apps. I find it funny that TikTok thought this was a sign iOS 18 was “cheater paradise.” It’s a handy utility, especially if your child is using your smartphone. Apple has finally restricted contact sharing within apps, but this feels like only a half-step. If users are in a hurry, they can still say “allow full-access” which does nothing. Apple should take contact access just as seriously as location access. Apple has a tradition of revealing things at WWDC which won’t be ready for launch. This year it’s Apple Mail categorization, which is separate to Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence has not yet been released for testing. Mail categorization was something I wanted to do for a long time. I love how third-party apps, like Edison Mail, sort content. But I’m thrilled to see Apple do this in a way that I’m sure will preserve privacy. Apple Intelligence is the most obvious thing missing from this review. Apple’s AI approach may be included in the developer betas later this summer, but that’s not certain. Apple Intelligence will be available to the public in September as a beta version of iOS 18. If rumors are true, the Siri upgrades won’t be released until spring 2025. This is my iPhone The most significant iOS 18 updates are related to personalization and control. Apple Intelligence is sure to take over in the coming months. But for now, it’s nice to have a clear view of the update without AI. iOS 18 review: Get creative with custom wallpapers, blank spaces and icons. iOS 18 has improved this with new controls over the Home Screen Lock Screen and Control Center. Apple has also made apps more functional with cross-app functionality and more developer APIs. Safari is smarter. Photos is more personalized. Journal is a stronger app. I’m looking forward to seeing how iOS 18 evolves during the beta period this summer and how Apple Intelligence will affect the operating system in general. AppleInsider’s review of iOS 18 will be updated as new features are released throughout 2024.
Two important user requests are met: dark mode icons and no text mode
No need to wait for holdouts when third-party apps are forced into dark mode
Redesigned Control Center gives first-party apps more room to compete
Messages is now better for everyone thanks to RCS and Send Later
Journal is a better app, with Health and Streak features
Apple Intelligence will usher a new era in iPhone softwareiOS 18 Review – Cons However, Apple Intelligence was only available to a small percentage of users at launch.
Apple Intelligence features promised at WWDC will take an entire year to be released
Developers will need to support and work on icon tinting.
The Jiggle mode will still be a mess no matter where it is used
Rating: 4 out 5 It’s clear that Apple focused on Apple Intelligence when developing iOS 18. The release is smaller than previous years but the features included make up for it. Even if you consider Apple Intelligence, your score would not improve much because only a small percentage of users have access. Only 2 of the 24 compatible models get the advanced features. Apple will release iOS 18 just a few weeks before the iPhone 16 launches in September. All devices that can run iOS 17 will get iOS 18. Update to iOS 18 is available for the following devices: iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd Generation)
iPhone SE (3rd generation)
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
Apple Intelligence will be available to beta testers soon. AppleInsider will provide extensive coverage of Apple’s first attempt at AI. Where to buy an iPhone that runs iOS 18 Wireless carriers offer aggressive incentives on iPhone 15 devices as they prepare for the iPhone 16. You can either jump to the offer from the carrier you choose below, or visit our iPhone deals roundup for a comparison of promotions across retailers. AT&T Wireless
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