Analyst Claims iOS 18 Crystal Will Be Biggest Update In iPhone History, What To Expect

Apple analyst Mark Bloomberg believes that the changes Apple had to implement in Europe, to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), will also need to be adopted by the Cupertino-based company globally. He and others believe the changes will most likely come along with the release of iOS 18. Gurman recently reported, “The revamp will satisfy many longstanding requests from users, developers and regulators. Apple will start allowing third-party app marketplaces, alternative in-app payment options and all-in-one game streaming services. Outside companies also will be able to create a tap-to-pay apps, and it will be easier for users to change their default browser.”


While Gurman does not list any specific changes coming in iOS 18, he has hinted at them in the recent past. One possibility is an updated version of Siri and Messages with AI that will answer questions and auto-complete sentences. Other services are also likely to receive an AI boost, such as auto-generating audio playlists inside the Apple Music app, implementing the technology into Pages, and being utilized to auto-creating slides in Keynotes.

Perhaps the most anticipated change coming with iOS 18 will be the implementation of RCS support. Apple announced late last year that it would support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting “later” in 2024. The addition of RCS support should give iPhone owners a much better experience with Android users, with features like higher-resolution photos and videos, audio messages, and read receipts.

Apple itself has been a bit more reserved with its comments concerning iOS 18, remarking it will be an “ambitious and compelling” update that will bring with it “major new features and designs.” The fact Gurman previously stated that the iPhone 16 will not be bringing much in terms of hardware improvement, would seem to indicate the tech company will need to be “extra-impressive” in terms of software.

iOS 18 is scheduled to be announced during Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in June, and will most likely be released in September.