After testing the first beta of iOS 18, I am clear that it is a great update, although the best is yet to come
The opening day of WWDC 2024 served for Apple to present its new operating systems. To the surprise of few (if any), iOS 18 was the star of the event. And also without surprise to those who know me, I have already ventured to install the beta of iOS 18 and test their new features before the final launch to the entire public in September.
I must say that, like every first beta, it contains some errors, it consumes more battery and we don’t have all the new features announced either. In fact, the best of artificial intelligence is not yet there. In any case, I have been able to find five new things that will improve my iPhone usage experience. And like me, I sense that many more users.
The most basic in Android, finally in iOS
Those of us who, in addition to using an iPhone, also have Android phones or are familiar with that operating system, find it at least comical that we have had to wait so long on iOS to have a customization of the home screen. But since that old expression of better late than never is also true, then enjoy it now.
Apple has finally introduced the possibility of place icons and widgets “wherever we want”. And I put it in quotes because technically it is not like that, since we have to follow the traditional grid and it is not possible to put icons exactly where we want or even overlap them. However, we can now leave gaps to better see the wallpaper or simply have a personalized style for no reason.
We also have the possibility of color app icons. And I personally like this less, since it ultimately leaves Apple’s characteristic and marked design language. However, I always applaud the greatest number of possible options for the user, so I am grateful that at least this option is available. At the end of the day there will be those who do take advantage of it and, by combining that color well with the wallpaper, they can look good.
Finally a customizable control center
Seven years ago, with iOS 11, a giant step was taken with the iPhone control center. It was finally becoming much more practical, although Apple was slow to take the next and definitive step. The one that arrives with iOS 18 and that will allow customize the control center to the maximum. At last!
It no longer only allows move icons freely for its interface, but also allows have different sizes for them and even have new sections accessible by simply sliding down. As icing on the cake, they open the API to developers so they can also add shortcuts and controls to their applications.
As a bonus track we also find that it is now possible change lock screen flashlight and camera icons. Traditionally they have been there and fulfill their function, but now we can add other accesses identical to those of the control center.
All passwords gathered in one native app
iCloud Keychain had been needing a proper application for years. And it no longer only stored common passwords for our accounts, but also two-factor codes, Wi-Fi network keys and even digital certificates. Hence its use had increased and having to go to the settings every time to locate them was tedious.
In iOS 18 a simple, but complete application to manage all the keys. It can be blamed for lack of elements such as an integrated password generator (although it does appear when we create a password on a different website or app), but it has a good organization dividing all the passwords gathered there and on top of that it has security elements that They prevent us from insecure keys or those that may have been leaked.
In addition, it adds other additives such as being able to create a QR of our Wi-Fi network, avoiding having to resort to other techniques. Although the best of all is that will also come to Windowsso it will be ideal for all those who have an iPhone, but not a Mac (or who have to use Windows for work reasons).
Protect and hide applications without shortcuts
Until now we have had to resort to tedious tricks to protect applications on iPhone. Some, like WhatsApp or banking apps, already came with Face ID protection to prevent someone to whom we lent the iPhone from looking where they shouldn’t. However, It is already a native option and twice.
On the one hand we can protect any application with Face ID or Touch ID, an option that appears highlighted when we long press the application icon. On the other hand also apps can be completely hidden in a protected folder in the App Library so that it is not even known that we have it installed (its icon will not be seen and searching for it with the spotlight will not show it either).
The ‘Photos’ app is almost unrecognizable
The native application in which our photos and videos are saved has undergone a radical change. Everything comes together now in a single customizable tab in which, apart from seeing all our photos in a grid, below we can have the classic sections with our created albums, those of tagged people and pets, as well as collections dedicated to our memories about trips or important events.
The best of the photos app comes in its new search filters. In previous versions we saw a lot of potential in this search engine, but now it improves by allowing highly detailed searches such as “my photos in Barcelona with a black sweater during the month of August 2021.” Of course, a good part of that power will come with AI, which gives rise to the next section.
And the best is yet to come…
No, we have not yet seen everything about iOS 18. Not even in the beta, not even with the most cutting-edge iPhones. Artificial intelligence will be key in this new version thanks to Apple Intelligence, the conglomerate of AI functions that brings together, among others, the new Siri and the integration of GPT-4o in the iPhone.
Of course, there is fine print to take into account. On the one hand, AI will be excessively limited. After years without giving relevance to RAM, Apple has now considered that at least 8 GB of RAM is needed, in addition to a chip like the A17 Pro, so Apple Intelligence compatibility is relegated in the iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
Another point of the fine print is that It will arrive only in English and it will not be released in more languages until 2025. It is not yet known in which other languages it will arrive and on what specific date, but knowing that GPT-4o works perfectly in Spanish, it is to be hoped that our language will be among the first and without too much delay.
There are also other new features such as game mode which will allow you to optimize resources so that background processes do not consume a lot of background battery and the processor can perform at its maximum in the video game. Also other shared news such as macOS 15 Sequoia will bring the possibility of using an iPhone with iOS 18 on the Mac, but it is not yet available in the first betas of either system.
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