iPhone 16 has no major hardware upgrades

According to the latest report by Bloomberg’s editor Mark Gurman, iOS 18 is poised to be a significant update for the iPhone, potentially enabling Apple to catch up with Google in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. Apple’s executives describe iOS 18 as a plan brimming with ambition and innovation.

Gurman did not divulge specific details about iOS 18, but it’s rumored that due to the initial version’s quality not meeting expectations, Apple’s software engineering chief, Craig Federighi, decided to pause the development of new features for about a week last month to focus on fixing system vulnerabilities. Gurman recalls that Apple faced a similar predicament in 2019 when a comprehensive overhaul of the iOS system led to a plethora of bugs, with new iPhones still experiencing issues on their launch day. Furthermore, in 2018, driven by systemic quality concerns, some new features of iOS 12 were postponed until the release of iOS 13.

The article also touches on the iPhone 16, revealing that while there may not be significant hardware upgrades, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to boast larger displays and ultra-wide cameras with 48-megapixel sensors. Gurman concludes that iOS 18 will be particularly crucial for the evolution of both Apple as a company and the iPhone series.

Previously, Gurman also confirmed rumors regarding Apple’s iPhones supporting third-party app marketplaces. Under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, iPhone users in Europe could access third-party app stores as early as the first half of 2024. Reportedly, Apple is developing a “strict control program” that, under certain conditions, would allow iPhones to install applications from sources other than the App Store, making the process of downloading third-party apps on an iPhone not as convenient as on Android phones.