Apple finally reviewed what’s happening iOS 18 at his Annual Developer Conference Keynote. The next major iPhone software update will be released later this year, and will include a wealth of AI infusion – Apple Intelligence – plus other quality-of-life improvements across the platform. All of this is excellent news for iPhone users, even if Android users have heard it before.
In some cases, iOS 18 is catching up to its Android competition. But iPhone users seem excited about what’s to come – there was much cheering in the mainstream audience – and so-called copycat features mean more parity between mobile platforms, which means less Sophie to choose from when shopping for a new smartphone. Here are some new features coming to iPhone with iOS 18 and how they compare to those already on Android devices.
Move apps where you want
Custom icon placement is no longer limited to Android users with time to burn. At WWDC 2024, Apple announced that iOS 18 will finally let you place app icons wherever you want on the Home screen, freeing them from the strict rail they were on before. You can move apps to either side of the screen with space in the middle to highlight an object on your wallpaper.
Tinted icons
iOS 18 users will have access to colored icons, something Pixel Launcher has done since then Android 13. The iOS 18 developer beta shows that color accents are chosen based on your wallpaper and system theme. And if you don’t like the color Apple chooses for you, you can adjust it to something else.
RCS
If you’ve read any tech blogs in the past few years, you know that Google had RCS first – and it won’t stop reminding us of it. Even took out a giant advertising campaign to refine the message.
Still, even though Apple quietly announced RCS support this week at its developer conference, Google isn’t getting its victory lap. Apple did not devote any fanfare to its tacit agreement with the cellular protocol. On the plus side, messages between iPhones and their green bubbles will be able to share features like high-resolution photos and Tapback animations later this year.
Schedule a message
The Messages app on iPhone will let you schedule your messages to be sent later when iOS 18 is released later this year. Google Messages succeeded schedule text messages since 2022. This is how I keep my iPhone friends from stalking me because I text them late at night when my brain is most active.
Game mode
iOS 18 will offer a Game mode. Apple advertises that it will minimize background activity to maintain a consistent frame rate. Android has an official game mode offering since Android 12. Some Android smartphones have even made their identity as gaming phones – looking at you, Phone Asus Rog.
Enter Siri
Okay, I’ll admit that Google’s transition from Assistant to Gemini has it wasn’t smooth sailing. But I’ve been able to type an Assistant command for years, enough that I’ll miss it when Assistant eventually faces expiry date.
Well, at least Siri users can type commands, or you will once iOS 18 goes live. I saw a demo of Siri typing at WWDC, which reminded me that this is a feature I’ll miss if/when Google forces me to Gemini. Sobbing.
Live audio transcriptions
iOS 18 will have a handy feature that lets you record audio sessions with the Notes app and then generate a transcription of the session that you can then combine with other documents and checklists.
Google presented Instant transcription to pixel in 2019. As of 2021, it has been integrated into the Android system settings.
Control center
iOS 18 will bring more customization to this drop-down part of the iPhone. In addition to home controls and quick settings, third-party app developers can offer dockable shortcuts.
Android has always had a notification panel. In Android 7, quick settings in the notification panel added editable tiles, which were eventually opened up to third-party app developers.
iPhone Mirroring
There is excellent news for iPhone users with a Mac on the desk. iOS 18 will let you stream your iPhone live to your Mac and use it with a mouse and keyboard. You can even easily play media between desktop and mobile environments.
Android users have been enjoying this kind of mirror sync with their phones since the first third-party offered the capability in 2010. But it’s still dependent on third parties a decade later, as there’s no native implementation between Android and Google’s Chrome OS. Only the latest Samsung flagships have the added benefit of phone-to-PC mirroring using Micorosft’s Phone app.
Genmoji, meet Emoji Kitchen
Apple users can generate emoticons from a text prompt on iPhone when iOS 18 rolls out later this year. Genmoji, as it’s called, aims to showcase the company’s core Apple Intelligence capabilities.
The capability sounds similar to that of Android Emoji kitchenwhich has been a hit since it was released on Google’s keyboard in 2020. Emoji Kitchen isn’t as AI-centric as Apple’s Genmoji, but it’s just as fun.
Live audio transcripts
Apple announced that the implementation of Apple Intelligence will help power a live transcription feature in the Notes app on iOS 18. The tool will record your call and then spit out a summary after you hang up.
Android managed to do both of these things individually, but not together. On the Pixel Instant transcription it works fine, but it’s meant for in-person interactions, not phone audio. And while Android allows third-party apps to enable call recording, the transcription part requires a bit of research to find the right service.
Type to Siri
iOS 18 will let you type a command to Siri. There was a running way to enable this since iOS 11, but this method is more direct and easier to access. It will also be more contextual than Siri gives us Android users struggle to accept Gemini a little FOMO.
I’ve been writing with the help of Google Assistant for five years. It was useful when I couldn’t speak out loud, which is why Apple also adopted the feature for iOS 18. This capability is still available on Android devices, although the eventual transition to Gemini may change this capability.
Bonus: iPad calculator app
iPad OS 18 finally gets its own optimized calculator app. This isn’t related to iOS 18, but it’s worth mentioning because Android had a calculator for tablets long before Apple.
At the very least, Apple sweetened the deal for iPad users with its calculator app by offering Math Noteswhich are unlocked with the Apple Pencil.
