iOS 18 was officially unveiled at the keynote of the 2024 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). However, after actually using iOS 18, it turns out that this new system offers much more functionality and customization than expected, despite the temporary absence of AI.

Early this morning, Apple finally held WWDC24, where the new generations of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS operating systems were released as scheduled.

These systems have many highlights, and naturally, we upgraded our devices to the latest versions as soon as possible. To determine if they are any good, they need to be practically experienced. Among these systems, iOS 18 is likely the most anticipated. After trying it for half a day, I have a lot to share with you. Click the link below for a hands-on experience.

Note: The currently available version is a developer preview, which might contain some unpredictable bugs, so it's not recommended to update your main device.

More Flexible Interface Layout

Many users consider iOS highly secure and smooth, but it does feel somewhat restrictive compared to the Android platform. For instance, desktop icons were not freely positionable in previous versions, with all icons automatically arranging from the first grid.

In the latest iOS 18, Apple has finally given users the choice to freely drag and drop icons, preventing “blocked face incidents.” Not only can you change the icon position, but you can also make the icons larger or change their color to better match the background.

From my tests, the automatically recognized icon colors are quite aesthetic, but if you prefer dark mode, app icons may blend into the background, making them harder to see. You can adjust the position with a slider in the settings. However, iOS still doesn’t allow custom icons without using shortcuts, which can be a bit cumbersome.

Some people might only care about the default wallpaper and not about aesthetics, so the changes to the control center are very practical. In iOS 18, the control center is now three pages, selectable via a right-side slider: quick buttons, media playback, and network switches. Each module can be added or removed according to personal preference, offering more flexibility.

When editing control buttons, you can drag and drop buttons to adjust their size. For instance, if you enjoy listening to music, you can expand the music player to 4x2 or fullscreen for easy lyric viewing and larger control buttons, which is quite delightful.

Personally, I appreciate these changes because as someone with “OCD,” I used to try to make app icons the same color for a more pleasing look. Now, not only can icons be customized, but so can control center buttons. iOS 18 has broken these restrictions, giving users more choice, including the ability to customize the lock screen flashlight and camera functions, a welcome improvement.

Dynamic and User-Friendly Photos App

In recent iOS versions, Apple has been gradually optimizing native apps like Messages and Mail. This year is no exception. Upgrading to iOS 18 allows for various fonts and emojis in messages, and the system will automatically filter and categorize emails—though these features may not be as useful for Chinese users who primarily use WeChat for messaging.



However, the Photos app remains essential, even if you have multiple third-party photo tools installed. In iOS 18, Apple has given the Photos app its most significant design update yet, allowing automatic creation of multiple themed albums for easier photo searching.

After updating to iOS 18, the system will automatically organize your photos without any action needed. Besides the traditional month-year view, a new filter function has been added. This is one of my favorite changes, as it helps quickly list screenshots from thousands of photos, significantly improving efficiency.

The biggest change is that the system will automatically generate many “folders” based on time, location, or people, making it easier to find photos. The view will update in real-time based on photo content, creating a dynamic digital album that feels fresher than the old static views.

Apple has also changed the vertical scrolling logic to a horizontal column-based layout, making categorization clearer. You can now pin certain photo collections, offering more customization options than the single waterfall album view.

After today’s brief use, I rediscovered many old photos in the Highlights album, bringing back precious memories. Though the Photos app interface changes may seem minor, they aim to save time searching for photos and allow more time to enjoy memories—a truly delightful experience.

Several Practical New Features

In addition to the interface updates, Apple has added some practical features in iOS 18. After a brief experience, I found the new Passwords app particularly useful.

Previously, the iCloud Keychain feature was available in iOS settings but lacked a standalone app, which many people never used. The new Passwords app in iOS 18 consolidates passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords, verification codes, and more, making management easier.

The most practical feature is sharing specific passwords with friends and family. For example, if you have a video membership account, authorized users can access the current password without asking you each time, which is very convenient.

Another useful addition is the app lock feature, accessible by long-pressing the app icon. Apps like WeChat, which prioritize privacy, can now be protected with FaceID. You can also hide it in a hidden folder, making it inaccessible without verification.

Once locked or hidden, the app won’t show notifications and won’t appear in search results, significantly enhancing security.

Additionally, the game mode previously implemented in macOS is now adapted for iOS 18. It intelligently allocates system resources to foreground games and improves Bluetooth headset stability for a better gaming experience.

In my brief test, there wasn’t a noticeable difference since my iPhone 15 Pro Max with the A17 Pro processor already runs mainstream games at full frame rates. However, if you play large games for long periods, this feature will likely be beneficial.

Safari, the browser we all know, has also upgraded its reader function. It now blocks ads and videos with one click, allowing users to focus on reading. Safari can also read page content aloud, which is great for listening to novels.

Safari will use machine learning to summarize key page information, like article summaries or destination locations, though these features are not yet available and will roll out later.

AI is Now Apple Intelligence

The biggest highlight of iOS 18, and indeed WWDC 24, is Apple’s AI, now known as Apple Intelligence.

AI is no longer a new concept. Since early this year, nearly all Chinese phone manufacturers have announced their focus on AI, with related products and features already launched. However, most useful AI applications so far have been limited, like removing people from photos.

Apple, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive solution—Apple Intelligence, described as a personal intelligent system with five key attributes: powerful, intuitive, complete, personal, and private.

This means Apple’s AI has a low learning curve, helps in various system aspects, and offers personalized design and strict privacy protection.

For instance, Apple Intelligence can generate birthday-related images from a contact’s photo when a birthday is mentioned in a text chat. If you plan to attend a concert with friends, the system will save concert information and create a route plan automatically.

At the keynote, Apple demonstrated a scenario:



Asking Siri “What’s the weather in place A, oh no, place B” will result in Siri correctly answering B’s weather. Follow that with “Create a calendar event, hiking there tomorrow,” and Siri will record “hiking in place B.” This shows Siri’s improved contextual and natural language understanding.

Siri can also find a driver’s license photo in your album and fill out forms or generate a vlog. Asking “When is mom’s flight?” will have Siri identify flight information from emails or messages and provide feedback.

These seemingly impossible tasks are well understood by Siri, making it a truly intelligent assistant, setting a new benchmark that’s hard for other manufacturers to reach.

There are many similar examples. The main difference between Apple’s AI and competitors is that Android’s AI often targets specific applications, like removing people from photos or summarizing articles. Apple integrates these functions seamlessly into the phone, such as auto-correcting text in messages, recording reminders from emails, or completing complex cross-app tasks with Siri.

The most impressive part is that Apple has integrated these functions so well that users hardly need to learn how to use them—just speak a command, and it’s done. This is the best definition of intuitive.

Before WWDC 24, some might have criticized Apple for being late to AI, with competitors already ahead. However, Apple’s demo today showed that Apple Intelligence leverages Apple’s ecosystem strengths, achieving perfect software-hardware integration. Apple’s late entry has now caught up and surpassed competitors, becoming the new benchmark. It’s no exaggeration to say that Apple’s AI is the true AI.

Of course, Apple Intelligence is not perfect. It is currently limited by performance, only supporting devices with the A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro series) or M-series chips. Older devices cannot experience these features. Additionally, the AI features are not yet available, with Apple planning to release test versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia supporting Apple Intelligence this summer, initially for English systems. Other languages and regions will have to wait longer.

It's anticipated that the iOS 18 adapted for Apple Intelligence will be the truly complete iOS 18 (the same goes for iPadOS and macOS). I can’t wait to experience it as soon as possible!

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