Apple has made a surprising about-face with iOS 18, emphasizing customization and user control across nearly every feature rather than the expected focus solely on Apple Intelligence (AI).
While investors and tech enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting news about Apple's AI advancements, it turns out iOS 18 has a lot more to offer than just AI features.
When the Android vs. iPhone debate was at its height in the 2010s, one of the main reasons users preferred Android was its extensive customization options. In contrast, Apple's simple icon grid seemed limiting compared to the dynamic and customizable Android home screen.
However, industry trends and the departure of Jony Ive led Apple to embrace a new direction. The introduction of alternative app icons was a big step towards allowing iPhone users to customize their devices.
While promising, Apple Intelligence isn't yet available for testing, so this review will focus on iOS 18's non-AI features, highlighting how enhanced personalization options cater to the needs of users around the world.
Nearly every new feature in iOS 18 seems focused on giving users more control and customization possibilities, marking a major shift in Apple's approach to its OS.
iOS 18 review: A customization upgrade
Apple has been slowly rolling out customization features ever since it introduced widgets to the home screen in iOS 14. Updates since then have focused on custom layouts, controls, and themes, with iOS 18 seeming to be the pinnacle.
Home screen and lock screen
Apple's home screen offers several new options for user customization: users can leave white space on the home screen, adjust icon size, switch to dark icons, add tint colors, and more.
Custom icons now apply to all icons, including those that appear in the App Library, folders, and Spotlight search. Users can also set app icons to a large mode that hides the text label, or switch to dark mode icons with a black background and dark accents. These dark icons will automatically switch based on the time of day, just like the system-wide light and dark modes.
The lock screen has received some major changes, including the ability to replace the flashlight and camera buttons with options of your choice. These customizations are tied to the lock screen and can be changed by focus mode.
Control Center
Control Center has been reimagined as a user-customizable, multi-page tool, allowing users to organize system and third-party app controls into multiple sizes and configurations. Users can create up to 10 pages, making Control Center a powerful customization tool that's always just a swipe away.
photograph
Apple has redesigned the Photos app, ditching the tabbed interface in favor of a unified one. This change brings everything to the forefront, making features like Memories and Maps easier to use. The unified design allows for custom sorting options based on faces, pets, trips, albums, and more.
Safari
Safari now has Highlights and an upgraded Reader view, with Highlights providing quick links to Maps, Music and other apps, and Reader view providing a page outline and generated table of contents.
journal
Journal upgrades include a new search tool with filters and insights, users can log mindfulness moments, connect entries to Apple Health, and enhance their journaling experience with new widgets and metrics.
message
Apple's Messages app updates include tapback with any emoji, send later option, new text effects, etc. The most significant update is the introduction of RCS, which allows for typing indicators, high-resolution images and videos, and tapbacks with compatible users.
Note
Notes now includes voice notes integrated with math notes, allowing users to record audio and have it automatically transcribed within the note.
calendar
Calendar is now integrated with Reminders, allowing users to create, view, and manage reminders for their calendar events.
Everything else
Other notable updates in iOS 18 include a new Passwords app, guest access in the Home app, hiking routes in Apple Maps, Game Mode, expanded SharePlay support, the ability to hide and lock apps, and improved contact sharing restrictions.
Due for release later this year
The full release of Apple Mail Classification and Apple Intelligence is expected to be available later this year. Mail Classification categorizes your content, and Apple Intelligence brings AI enhancements to iOS 18.
Personalization
iOS 18 marks a major shift in Apple's approach to its operating system, with a focus on personalization and user control. While Apple Intelligence will eventually take center stage, the current updates make iOS 18 an attractive upgrade for users looking for more customization options.
Strong Points:
- Extensive customization options
- Dark mode icons and no text mode
- Redesigned Control Center
- An enhanced messaging and journaling app
Cons:
- Initial availability of Apple Intelligence is limited
- Icon colorization requires developer support
- Redesigning photos may be difficult for some users
Rating: 4 out of 5
iOS 18 is expected to be released in September, and all devices capable of running iOS 17 will be compatible with the new update. We'll continue to share information about the rollout of Apple Intelligence and other features, so stay tuned.
