Coming off the most recent WWDC, it was clear that Apple had finally delivered on the great features we have been expecting from the iPhone for a long time.
But I can't help but feel like iOS 18 is missing this flagship feature that everyone's talking about (for one reason or another). And when I say “flagship” features, I don't necessarily mean the features that Apple itself has chosen to promote more aggressively.
Returning to iOS 17, the fan-favorite new feature is probably Standby Mode, which turns your iPhone into a desk or bedside table clock – simple yet practical.
I don't think this has anything to do with the iOS version, but the iPhone 14 Pro launch wowed everyone with “Dynamic Islands” and the genius way Apple made holes in the display look like they were part of the iOS 16 experience. It's a great example of how Apple can use software to create exciting things that no one else has done before.
Did Apple just copy Google and Samsung's homework with iOS 18 without putting too much effort into it?


While Circle may not be possible, iOS 18 will allow iPhone 15 Pro users to search anything on the screen.
- Writing Tools, Apple's version of Google's Writing Style, automatically rewrites, polishes, proofreads and summarizes text.
- The Image Playground feature, which lets you generate images from prompts, appears to produce cartoon-like images, presumably because Apple doesn't want the images to be “too realistic” or used for “nefarious purposes.”
The exception to the above is Apple's briefly mentioned Image Wand feature, which turns rough sketches (created by the user) into more usable images (Microsoft, incidentally, has already introduced the same functionality as part of MS Paint on Windows laptops running CoPilot).
- “Genmoji”, or the ability to create your own custom emojis, ranks very close to “Animoji” and “Slofie” on my list of “interesting iPhone features”, so I'll leave it at that…
- Then there's “Clean Up,” Apple's version of Google's Magic Eraser, which is very welcome on my iPhone but, again, nothing groundbreaking.
- This is pretty subjective, but I think the new Photos app looks cluttered and is generally confusing, and when you swipe through photos it feels unnecessarily animated (and it is). Let me know what you think!
as a whole, iOS18 Update Apparently, what's missing is that special “Apple sauce” — an Apple-can-do-it-later moment.
And aside from deeper AI integration (more on that later), I'm not convinced Tim Cook and company have added any interesting twists to the “AI” features already deployed by the likes of Google, Samsung, and even Microsoft.
The home screen customization options are also disappointing, as it seems you can choose the same shade of color for all your icons, making third-party apps look dodgy. There's a new dark mode for the home screen, but it's very basic… Overall, the lack of attention to detail is un-Apple-like, but at least in the iOS 18 beta it is.
The most impressive Apple Intelligence features won't arrive until 2025, and some won't arrive in Europe until further notice. “Apple Intelligence” is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro


Apple Intelligence is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, which must be a crime. Somewhere. But not in this world.
First, the big takeaway here is the fact that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have the best and most advanced “Apple Intelligence” features.
We've discussed this at length already, but despite Apple's recent excuse of “underpowered iPhones that can't run Apple Intelligence as quickly as they should,” I still believe this is a deliberate omission on Apple's part.
After all, Apple was expected to feature the latest and greatest AI in phones like the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 Pro, but decided a while ago to only include Apple chips with 6GB of RAM and fewer Neural Engine cores.
Anyway… to give it all credit, Apple has indeed done the “Apple way” by implementing AI throughout the entire system experience, not just in specific apps, and this is commendable, because it’s exactly what gives the iPhone an edge over its competitors in the area of on-device AI.
But soon, iOS18 Update It will be postponed “until 2025.” Naturally, the most striking thing is what follows.
- Personal Context – Siri will be able to peek into your photos, emails, messages, calendar events and more to help you with more specific tasks, but that won't happen until 2025.
- App Control – If you need to open a document, move a file, or share a web link, Siri will be able to handle certain tasks within an app, but that won't happen until 2025.
- Thanks to “on-screen recognition,” Siri will be able to see what's on your screen and understand exactly what you're talking about when you ask it certain questions. That's pretty amazing, but it won't be around until 2025.
- Additional Languages - For now, Siri only speaks American English, but don't worry, Apple says “more languages are coming in 2025.”
It's also worth noting that at launch, Siri will only support American English, with other languages coming “sometime in 2025.” But the biggest problem here is that any and all “Apple Intelligence” features (as well as features like iPhone Mirroring) won't be coming to Europe, at least until further notice, which is a huge bummer for Europeans… like me (hello!).
Tim Cook and co. hate “rushing things,” but Apple has felt the pressure to get “AI” to the people. Will this lead to a tough iOS 18 release?


Spoiler alert – the release of iOS 18 is already tough, at least in the first few beta versions running on my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
As mentioned earlier, the most powerful Apple Intelligence features won't arrive until 2025. iPhone 15 Pro And the new iPhone 16 series will essentially be running a “beta” version of Apple's in-device AI.
This is part of a deeper Siri integration, so it remains to be seen whether ChatGPT will be ready in time for general release. iOS18 Update and iPhone 16.
ChatGPT plays a key role in Apple's version of Google's fantastic “Circle to Search” feature, which lets you search anything on your screen, and of course it does all the other things you'd expect ChatGPT to do (at least when Siri can't).
Between the delayed release of the best new AI features, the exclusivity of the iPhone 15 Pro, questionable availability in Europe, and a few minor missteps, I'm not so sure iOS 18 will be Apple's smoothest iOS release yet.
it's clear Tim Cook & Co. felt the pressure to deliver something in the AI space, but was Apple ready?