From Gen AI-powered Siri to Stolen Device Protection; Top 5 features likely to arrive on iOS in 2024

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Apple has brought a host of new features to iOS, the Cupertino-based tech giant's operating system for iPhones. However, the focus on iOS is set to get even bigger, with some reports suggesting that Apple may not bring many hardware changes to the iPhone 16, instead focusing on the software side of the flagship phone.

Apple unveiled iOS 17 at the company's WWDC event in June, and the operating system began rolling out to handsets in September, shortly after the launch of the iPhone 15 range. The tech giant is expected to follow a similar pattern in 2024, introducing a host of new features with iOS 18.

Apple has agreed to adopt the RCS or rich communication services for the iMessage app from next year, meaning that the new feature could be a part of the iOS 18 operating system. In a statement about RCS, quoted by 9to5Mac, Apple said, “We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.

This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users," The long-awaited introduction of RCS will bring features such as higher resolution photos and videos, audio messages, read receipts, enhanced group chats, improved encryption, typing indicators and more to green bubbles (Android to iOS chats) in Apple's iMessage app. Notably, these features were already part of the blue bubble interface (conversations within the Apple ecosystem) and are also present in many third-party apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

In a report earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurnman noted that Apple is adding AI-backed features to its next version of iOS. The new features which are expected to be backed by the company's proprietary