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New iOS 18 features that Android phones have for years!
Apple iOS 18 will be the biggest upgrade for iPhone users in years. As always, Apple managed to take all the credit for changes it made in the iOS 18, but many of the new features have been available in Android phones for years.
iOS 18 is going to be a big upgrade for Apple iPhone users. However, the features are not so innovative as Android users have had most of them for years. Let’s have a look at the most notable ones!
Homescreen personalization
iOS 18 will enable homescreen customization on iPhone, which was not possible till v17. While Android vendors continued to make homescreen and lockscreen heavily personalizable, Apple realized it too late.
Static app grid is gone, and app icon movement is no longer limited. The iOS 18 also introduces custom color palettes that turn app icons into different shades – a similar approach to Android’s Material You.
Feature-packed Gallery
Android’s Google Photos and Galaxy’s Samsung Gallery are equipped with advanced editing features. Taking inspiration, Apple also made some fruitful changes to its Photos app to uplevel user experience.
iOS 18 improves the search system of Photos app, allowing users to search for details in photos, including numbers, places, and other identifiers. Magic/Object Eraser is also added in the Photos app to remove unwanted objects.
On-device AI
Google introduced Pixel 8 Pro as the first on-device AI-powered smartphone. Later, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra – all are equipped with Gemini Nano AI innovation.
Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, which is arriving on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with iOS 18. The company partnered with OpenAI to fuel ChatGPT in products ranging in iPhone, as well as iPad and Mac lineups.
RCS
Google has been criticizing Apple over the lack of RCS messaging in the iMessage app. The iPhone maker was forced by the European Union to adopt RCS messaging innovation, which is debuting with the iOS 18 upgrade.
The integration of RCS tech will allow users to see delivery and read receipts, theoretically typing indicators, and much richer images. Notably, RCS has been available in Android’s Google Messages for several years.
Emoji generator
iOS 18 has a powerful emoji generator functionality, which is better than Android’s emoji kitchen. It lets users generate bespoke emojis with AI in the style of Apple’s existing library of emojis.
Android has an Emoji Kitchen feature, which allows you to create unique stickers. However, the power of artificial intelligence gives an edge to Apple’s version of emoji creator functionality.
Owners of select Samsung Smart TVs, monitors, The Premiere 7 & 9 projectors, or The Freestyle 2nd Gen can stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024 and hundreds of other games with Gaming Hub Xbox Game Pass.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Flight Simulator 2024 are two of the most popular games of 2024. Thanks to Samsung Gaming Hub, you don’t need to download any of the Xbox Game Pass titles, no meaning no storage required – just jump in and play.
The company has also built an engaging gameplay experience designed by fans, for fans through The Six, challenging players’ knowledge and providing another way to interact with the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Notably, Samsung’s Gaming Hub is available on a variety of Samsung screens. It includes the AI-powered 2024 TV lineup, monitors, projectors, The Premiere, and The Freestyle 2nd Gen projector, offering instant access to console-free gaming.
Anyone with a Samsung Smart TV will be able to use their remote to jump in and play. This way, Gaming Hub provides a co-branded experience, giving Call of Duty fans another way to engage with the franchise they love.
For starters: The Six offers daily trivia where players can answer a series of six questions in competition with other players around the world. Correct answers with the fastest response time will achieve higher scores.
Samsung could launch the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone next year. The company has collaborated with LG Uplus to develop a custom smartphone. The device is said to feature Galaxy AI and LG Uplus’s AI call assistant ixi-O.
Sources citing KEDGlobal revealed that Samsung and LG Uplus working together to develop the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone. It’s a big development in the smartphone industry, while the handset is highly likely to be Korea-limited.
Samsung fans are well aware of the Galaxy AI feature suite. ixi-O is an AI-powered digital assistant developed by Korean carrier LG Uplus. The company plans to enter the smartphone market, featuring its own-developed AI assistant.
The report indicates that Samsung and LG Uplus’ ixi-O AI Phone will launch as early as next year. The development project focuses on crafting a “real AI phone” that goes beyond simply integrating AI assistant services into a smartphone.
ixi-O comes with useful features such as AI call answering, detecting voice phishing in real-time, recording and summarizing phone calls and converting voice conversation into text – all within an on-device environment.
Image: ixi-O AI | LG Uplus Newsroom
Based on specifications, the Galaxy ixi-O AI Phone will be based on a Galaxy phone available globally. The design will match with a global Galaxy smartphone, but the software may be tweaked as per the carrier’s requirements.
A custom Galaxy phone isn’t shocking or impossible in South Korea. Samsung releases Quantum, Buddy, and Jump-branded phones in the market. The company collaborates with Korean carriers to bring these devices to mainland Korea.
The carrier introduced an on-device AI-powered ixi-O assistant earlier this month. LG Uplus will initially target its consumer base for the new AI Phone. However, the AI Assistant may be expanded to a broader audience across Korea.
Samsung could use Gauss2-based Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The company’s next-gen Generative AI model is 1.5 to 3x faster than the first-gen Gauss model. The DX division is already using Gauss2 to ramp up internal productivity.
Gauss2 offers improved performance and efficiency in simultaneously handling various data types. In the previous article, we’ve demonstrated its three distinct models that cater to different purposes: Compact, Balanced, and Supreme.
Samsung says the second-gen Gauss model offers equal or superior performance in response generation than leading open-source generative AI models. That said, the Galaxy AI will become faster and smarter with the inclusion of Gauss2.
Thanks to faster processing speed, Gauss2 enables quicker AI response generation. This way, the Galaxy user won’t have to wait much time. The company stated that it will continue to expand the reach of its AI-based services across all product lines.
That said, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to boast Gauss2-based Galaxy AI. This upgrade will result in even faster processing of tasks and execution. Features like composition, image generation, and translation would benefit from Gauss2.
Earlier, we broke the news that Samsung is crafting an advanced AI technology. The Gauss2 press release indicates that the future Galaxy AI iteration could be integrated with knowledge graph technology to offer relevant results.
The Galaxy S24 series also uses Google’s Gemini Nano AI model. The fruitful collaboration offers futuristic capabilities on Galaxy devices. Samsung is rumored to use an enhanced version of Gemini Nano across the Galaxy S25 lineup.
Meanwhile, Samsung’s development may have indulged Gauss2 capabilities on the Galaxy S25 series. Integrated with new processors and optimized software, the company’s AI model would offer faster, reliable, and smarter results.