February 2, 2025, 9:26 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Apple has released the iPhone update to iOS 18.3. Although the version is slightly less comprehensive than iOS 18.2 and probably also the expected iOS 18.4, there are still some new features in the software.
Just under two months after the previous update, Apple is now releasing iOS 18.3. As iOS 18 brings some extensive new features to the iPhone in stages, there was already information in advance about what the OS version will contain. But what has actually been rolled out? TECHBOOK summarizes the information.
Apple Intelligence Is Being Expanded
One of the biggest innovations in iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence. However, the new feature is not yet available for the iPhone in Europe. This was supposed to change with iOS 18.3. But now Apple Intelligence is only due to arrive with iOS 18.4. The functions that are now implemented in iOS 18.3 will, therefore, also appear in this country sooner or later.
Among other things, in this update, Apple Intelligence can intelligently combine notifications and the recognition of objects such as plants via the camera. In addition, the entire notification function has been revised, and the AI-generated overviews have been adapted following some user criticism. In the future, users will be able to edit the summaries themselves via the lock screen – except for news apps.
Apple Intelligence will also be activated by default on compatible devices in the future. Those who do not want this must deactivate the AI features via an opt-out function – previously, it was the other way around.
Few Relevant Innovations
In the USA, iPhone users will also receive new wallpapers for their devices with the update. What seems to be missing in iOS 18.3, however, is the new “Invites” app, which Apple is said to be working on in the background. Hints of this were already discovered in iOS 18.2. The invitation app may then also appear with iOS 18.4. The same applies to the expected HomeKit support for robot vacuums.
Overall, iOS 18.3 is, therefore, less extensive than expected. Although it is officially a “point update,” there are no real innovations this time. Instead, Apple says it has primarily closed more than 30 vulnerabilities in the system.
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iOS 18.3 Contains Important Security Updates
One particularly serious vulnerability affected the CoreMedia component, which is relevant for processing multimedia content. Attackers were able to gain access to extended system rights on the device. The known vulnerability relating to photo access in a locked state has also been fixed.
In addition to iOS 18.3 for the iPhone, Apple also released security updates for watchOS 11.3 and tvOS 18.3. macOS 14.7.3 and macOS 13.7.3 were also updated.