At WWDC 2024, Apple finally unveiled one of the most awaited iOS 18, which packs a host of new features and multiple enhancements to fine-tune the user experience for its Indian audience. With customization and intelligent functionality at the very core of this update, it is certain to change the way users deal with their devices.
iOS 18 Features Tailored for India
Customization Options
Lock Screen and Contact Posters: iOS 18 will allow users to customize their lock screens to show time expressed in Indian numerals in 12 languages, such as Arabic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Kannada, and Telugu. One can even change the font color and weight to create Contact Posters.
Enhanced Communication
- Live Voicemail Transcription: This is a feature that can support Indian English and helps in transcribing voicemails in real-time, making it easier to manage messages.
- Live Caller ID: Real-time caller identification can help you identify a caller as soon as the phone rings.
- Smart Call History Search: Improves the search in call history by saving everybody’s time due to an easier user experience.
- Phone Directory Keypad: Reworked keypad interface to be more intuitive and speedy for dialing.
Improved Dual SIM Control
Control Center redesign: Fast SIM card switching has become easy through the revamped Control Center interface for fast toggling between SIM cards.
Multilingual Support
- Enhanced Keyboard: Users of iPhone 12 and later will be able to type phonetically using Latin characters for English and up to two additional Indian languages that they choose, which will make predictive typing much easier. This trilingual experience also allows for QuickPath, Emoji Prediction, and includes access to other language scripts so one can switch between languages when having a conversation.
- Alphabetical Keyboard Layouts: iOS 18 brings alphabetical keyboard layouts for 11 Indian languages, dynamically adjusting keys according to user input for much easier typing in native scripts.
- Improved Language Search: Raised search functionality accommodates various spelling variations so that users may find content using different spellings in languages like Assamese, Bangla, Devanagari, and Gujarati.
Multilingual Siri
Extended Language Support: Siri now understands and responds in 9 additional Indian languages alongside Indian English. Users could instruct using mixed English and regional languages on tasks like setting alarms, launching apps, and many more. Siri can also reply in Hindi.
Translate App Integration
Expanded Language Support: Improvements to the language support have been made to Hindi in the Translate app and Safari webpages, as well as systemwide translation features, to further bridge communication gaps.
Move to iOS App
Enhanced Migration: The current release improves in transfer speed, reliability, and provides additional transfer options, including both wireless and wired transfers, to make moving to iPhone easier than ever.
Availability
iOS 18 will be released this fall as a stable update. At the time of writing, the beta is made available to the developers at Apple Developer Program for testing and integration of these cool new features into apps.
