January 31, 2025, 9:03 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Apple is planning extensive innovations with iOS 18.4. It will be an important update, especially for iPhone users in Europe.
After Apple released a relatively minor update with iOS 18.3 at the end of January, primarily addressing security vulnerabilities, anticipation for iOS 18.4 is mounting. Advance announcements have also indicated that Apple will finally introduce numerous AI features to iPhones in Europe with the new OS version. Consequently, it could be one of the most substantial updates in recent memory. TECHBOOK provides an overview of the planned innovations.
Overview
Apple Intelligence Is Coming to Europe
The major new feature in iOS 18, slated for introduction and rollout in 2024, is Apple’s proprietary AI, dubbed Apple Intelligence. Many new functions and improvements are linked to this, which the company has been rolling out gradually since its release in September. However, due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, European users were initially excluded from these features. With the update to iOS 18.4, however, a solution has been implemented.
Siri Is Getting Smarter
Specifically, the voice assistant Siri stands to gain significantly from this update. According to renowned Bloomberg specialist Mark Gurman, iOS 18.4 finally introduces the smarter version of the program that Apple had already presented at the developer conference in June 2024.
This was also the main theme of the Apple keynote in September (“It’s Glowtime”), but so far, Siri has only received a new animation and ChatGPT integration. iOS 18.4 is expected to facilitate the rollout of existing functions in Europe and introduce new features globally.
The feature known as ‘on-screen awareness’ aims to enhance Siri’s comprehension of displayed screen content. This improvement allows for more accurate responses to user inputs. For instance, users could save a manually entered number or retrieve information from a received text message using a voice command.
Cross-App Search and Access
According to Gurman, Siri is also getting a function called “Personal Context.” This will allow the voice assistant to search for information across apps and thus take a holistic approach. Users would then no longer have to search chat programs and emails separately if they are no longer sure in which program they have sent which information to whom.
The ‘Taking Action in Apps’ feature will enable Siri to directly access apps to execute specific tasks. Photo editing is cited as an example. Plans are also likely in place to extend this functionality to third-party apps. Yet, it is uncertain if this capability will be included immediately with iOS 18.4.
Will Apple Intelligence Also Be Available in German?
A support document also reveals that Apple wants to introduce new language packs for its AI with the update. This is probably also due to the rollout in Europe. So far, the AI is only available in English in most countries. However, the implementation of Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, English (including India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand) “and other languages” is also planned. It is still unclear if German will be available immediately with iOS 18.4. However, it is reasonable to anticipate this inclusion.
In order to actually use most of the new AI features, the corresponding hardware is also required. Apple Intelligence is primarily compatible with the two iPhone 15 Pro and the four iPhone 16 models, iPads, and Macs, with at least the M1 chip and the iPad mini. Older devices are not powerful enough.
New emojis with iOS 18.4
Beyond the significant AI enhancements, iOS 18.4 will also introduce additional features separate from Apple Intelligence. For instance, Apple has traditionally included new emojis in its spring updates in past years. In iOS 17.4, for example, a lime, a phoenix, a brown mushroom, and a head-shaking emoji were included.
Given that the Unicode Consortium has already unveiled several new features, the rumor appears increasingly plausible. The new emojis include a leafless tree.
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When Will iOS 18.4 Be Released for the iPhone?
It is currently reasonable to assume that Apple will unveil iOS 18.4 in April. This assumption is based on both published information and Apple’s historical release patterns. In the meantime, Apple is likely to release one or two interim updates, building on iOS 18.3. However, these updates are not expected to introduce any significant new features.