Tonight, Apple will release the new operating system iOS 18. It will be available even for older smartphones like the iPhone XR from 2018. If you own Apple AirPods, you can expect new audio features. Additionally, there are improvements for the Apple TV app. Therefore, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the update throughout the day.
iOS 18 is expected to be available for compatible smartphones tonight starting at 7 PM. Apple is already showcasing the major new features of the operating system as a preview on the official website. In this article, we will primarily focus on the new features in the audio area. For example, in the future, you will be able to use the AirPods Pro 2 as an over-the-counter hearing aid. You will take a hearing test directly on your iPhone, and subsequently, a personalized hearing profile will be created for you. Based on this, you can specifically amplify voices, for instance. If you wish, the profile will then be automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across all devices.
The hearing aid function can even be set up with an audiogram created by hearing specialists. Conversely, you can also show the results of your hearing test to your doctor. They will be stored for you in the Health app. However, it may still take some time before this feature in iOS 18 is actually available in combination with the AirPods Pro 2, as Apple states that market approval from health authorities is still required.
How the AirPods Pro 2 performed in our tests is revealed in our best list:
Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI suite, will continue to be unavailable in the EU, including Germany. However, iOS 18 includes intelligent measures aimed at preventing you from ever needing a hearing aid. For instance, the Health app can show you if and how often you have been in overly loud environments or if you’ve raised the volume of your Bluetooth headphones too high. Additionally, voice isolation for phone calls on the Apple AirPods Pro (2) is said to improve. The result should be that you can understand your conversation partner better, even without turning up the volume.
Benefits for Gaming and Movies
iOS 18 also contains an enhanced gaming mode that has significant capabilities. This mode is designed to limit the activities of other apps running in the background, allowing your device to devote full power to gaming. Additionally, latency with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 is said to be significantly reduced. This means that video and audio should sync better. Apple claims to have also reduced input lag when using a wireless controller. Do you own the 3rd generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max? Then you can now enjoy personalized 3D audio in games.
For the Apple TV app, there is also a new feature: while playing movies and series, you can request information on actors and music, for example. However, it appears that this initially only works with titles from the Apple TV+ streaming service, not with purchased content. Additionally, there is the “Enhance Dialogues” feature, which can specifically highlight voices. However, this function only works on the iPhone 11 model series and later. It applies both when using headphones and when using external speakers or the built-in smartphone speakers.
These Devices Will Get iOS 18
Want to use all these features? Then look for iOS 18 starting tonight after 7 PM. The update should be available to you shortly. Below, we have listed which smartphones will receive the update.
These Apple iPhones Will Get iOS 18
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone SE 3
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or newer)
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max