As of Sept. 16, Apple users with an iPhone 10 or above have the opportunity to download the newest update, iOS 18. This update offers a variety of revised features and tools that enhance and rejuvenate the iPhone for a simplified and customizable user experience.
One of the biggest updates is the ability to alter the display appearance of the home screen by organizing and stacking widgets along with the ability to change app colors and appearances. This update is an exciting change to Apple’s home screen since app icons have remained the same for years and now you can customize their looks to your liking. Apps can also be enlarged, a feature that has never been offered before. Not only are these changes available on Apple’s home screen but also on the lock screen. You can now directly access apps when powered on with the new shortcuts displayed on the lock screen.
If you are an avid texter, adding a shortcut to the messages app may be worthwhile considering the app’s compelling modifications. You are now offered the ability to schedule a time to send a message in advance, this becomes very useful when you think of a message late at night and don’t want to be disruptive. Messages has also added new effects to enhance your text tone including underlining and bolding words, more dynamic effects, enlarging words and the ability to react to a message with any emoji of your choice. This allows for much more creative freedom to express yourself virtually than before.
Messages is not the only app with valuable alterations, with IOS 18 you will find a new and improved Voice Memos app. The added attributes to this app not only give users the ability to see a live transcription of their recordings but also the capability to edit the transcriptions directly in the app. This may not seem extremely exciting from the public’s point of view, but for high school students who take part in a journalism or yearbook course, these new features deserve an award. As journalism students ourselves, we are eager to cut the time-consuming task of transcribing interviews in half.
However, a possible controversial part of the new update is the complete redesign of one of the iPhone’s most used apps, the Photos app. The new display is immediately noticeable when you enter the app, as you are now presented with many additions to your normal photo gallery such as albums called Recent Days and People. Many iPhone users have become comfortable with the original layout, so the new eclectic look may be confusing for some. Although it is a race to stay accustomed to Apple’s constantly evolving technology we believe this was a beneficial adjustment to the app.
While the new iOS 18 update improves the user experience for most people, the new design may be difficult to navigate for those who have become accustomed to the old layout. Together we believe this update has significantly improved the iPhone users’ experience, leaving our final rating as 4/5 stars.
