iOS 18.2 for iPhone With Picture Playground and Extra Apple Intelligence Options Rolls Out: What’s New

Apple rolled out the iOS 18.2 replace for iPhone globally on Wednesday. It arrives a day after the discharge of iOS 18.2 Launch Candidate (RC) 2, increasing the set of Apple Intelligence options that the Cupertino-based expertise large beforehand launched. Its newest replace brings Picture Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration. It additionally bundles a brand new visible lookup function unique to the iPhone 16 collection whereas increasing the provision of Apple’s synthetic intelligence (AI) suite to extra languages.
iOS 18.2 Suitable Fashions
Apple says all iPhone fashions suitable with the preliminary iOS 18 replace are eligible to obtain the newest iOS 18.2 replace. Nevertheless, the Apple Intelligence options are restricted to the iPhone 16 lineup, iPhone 15 Professional, and iPhone 15 Professional Max.
It’s being expanded to extra English-speaking locales reminiscent of Australia, Canada, Eire, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. The AI suite is offered globally on the iPhone aside from China and the EU, however it’s going to launched within the latter beginning April subsequent 12 months.
iOS 18.2 Replace Options
In a newsroom put up, Apple detailed the brand new options arriving on the iPhone with the iOS 18.2 replace. One of many highlights is Picture Playground — a brand new standalone app that bundles three capabilities and brings extra methods for customers to precise themselves higher. It leverages generative AI to generate photographs in distinct kinds reminiscent of animation or illustration, primarily based on textual prompts. Then there’s Genmoji, which has comparable performance however works for emojis. The created photographs and emojis may be shared in apps reminiscent of Messages, Notes, and Keynote, as per Apple.
In the meantime, Picture Wand transforms a tough sketch right into a associated picture within the Notes app, much like Samsung’s AI-powered Sketch to Picture function. It may additionally create a picture within the app primarily based on the handwritten or typed textual content utilizing on-device generative AI fashions.
Whereas Apple launched Writing Instruments with iOS 18.1 in October, the newest iOS 18.2 replace expands their capabilities. It brings a brand new Describe Your Change choice which allows customers to specify the modifications they’d like, reminiscent of making it extra dynamic or rewrite it within the type of a poem. It joins the present Rewrite, Proofread, and Summarise instruments and is offered system-wide and in third-party apps.
iPhone 16 collection customers can now benefit from the brand new Visible Intelligence function. Apple says it’s a visible lookup instrument which helps them study objects and locations immediately, leveraging the brand new Digital camera Management button. It may summarise and duplicate textual content, translate it between languages, and detect telephone numbers or e-mail addresses with the choice so as to add to contacts. It additionally permits them to look Google for a product they like, clear up a math equation, or just ask ChatGPT to offer extra info.
And on a associated notice, ChatGPT involves the iPhone. Siri, which is Apple’s voice assistant, can now leverage the capabilities of OpenAI’s AI chatbot to offer customers with extra in-depth responses to queries and doc and image-understanding capabilities. Siri can counsel a consumer entry to ChatGPT for sure requests and supply direct solutions. Additional, it could additionally generate content material utilizing native writing instruments. Apple says this function requires non-obligatory sign-in, and iPhone customers with a paid ChatGPT account can use their account for entry to extra highly effective OpenAI fashions.
The corporate emphasises that OpenAI doesn’t retailer requests, nor does it use the info for coaching its fashions. It additionally obscures their IP addresses to forestall periods from being linked collectively.
What’s Forward
Apple Intelligence capabilities shall be expanded additional within the coming months, as per Apple. Siri will get contextual consciousness to ship tailor-made responses. Additionally it is claimed to have the ability to have on-screen consciousness with new actions throughout Apple and third-party apps. Different anticipated options embody Precedence Notifications and a brand new sketch fashion for Picture Playground.