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in the early morning of the 17th, apple pushed the official version of ios 18.

although we have more or less seen some reports and hot searches about the new features of ios 18 these days, because it is too fragmented, everyone must still have some questions in their minds:

how many new features does ios18 have? is it worth upgrading?

so in this article, shichao will give you a detailed introduction to the new features of ios 18, so that you can judge whether you need to upgrade based on your own needs.

because everyone has different focuses, in order to allow everyone to make a more accurate judgment, this article has 4,800 words, 42 functional diagrams, and involves 38 new features.

i dare not say that it is the most detailed in the entire network, but i can definitely guarantee that shichao can mention the important update points and provide specific experiences and explanations, so you don’t have to look for answers elsewhere.

the system version tested in the article is ios 18.0 rc version (released on september 10). in theory, there is no difference between the rc version and the official version.

devices that can be upgraded to ios 18▼

every few major versions of ios, a major surgery is performed on the desktop.

for example, the release of ios 7 officially changed the iphone icon style from skeuomorphic to flat. the release of ios 14 allows small widgets to be placed on the iphone desktop.

so what is the biggest difference in the desktop after upgrading to ios18?

that isdesktop icons can finally be arranged in a custom way!

for many years, the first thing a lot of people do after jailbreaking their iphones is to install a plug-in to enjoy the free placement of icons that android users are accustomed to.

in addition, there are also "themes" to choose from on the desktop.

but strictly speaking, this is not a theme at all, it's just a simple change of color.

the desktop now supports light theme (original), dark theme.

if you want to personalize it a little more, there are also color themes, and you can choose the icon color.

but shichao felt that this colorful theme was not sophisticated enough.

it looks like a perfunctory filter applied to the iphone, which is a bit un-apple-like.

those who are careful enough may have discovered:

in the "dark theme", the color of alipay is still light. in the "color theme", third-party widgets also failed to load.this means that “icon color change” requires a third-party app to adapt.

this means that friends who want to have a perfect dark or colorful theme on their iphone may have to wait.

in addition to color, desktop icons can also be resized.

“small” is the previous standard size, and “large” not only makes the icon larger, but the app name will also be hidden.

many people may think that large icons are a bit old-fashioned.

but shichao used it for a while and found that if it is matched well, the desktop will look very simple. you can try it.

this time, brother guozi also optimized the adjustment method of desktop widgets.

in addition to long pressing a widget, you can change its size.

by long pressing the app icon, you can also convert it into widgets of different sizes. we no longer need to enter the widget library and search and add them one by one.

in general, the update of ios on the desktop this time is not a big deal, after all, it has been played for many years. it is also not a small matter, after all, it removes the limitation of ios desktop icons for more than ten years. . .

although there are not many updates to the lock screen page, shichao thinks it is very practical.

because the two controls "flashlight" and "camera" can be replaced.

controls can be replaced with system switches, third-party apps, and shortcuts.

first of all, this solves a big problem for iphone users:

i always accidentally touch the flashlight, which takes a heavy toll on the already limited battery life.

at the same time, it also brings more convenient possibilities to iphone:

for example, when you want to shoot a video, you can open douyin, kuaishou or beauty camera on the lock screen instead of the apple camera.

when traveling abroad, put the translation app on the lock screen and you can translate with just your phone.

you might think that switching back and forth between controls is too much of a hassle.

actually, no.

because the controls follow the wallpaper.

for example, my blue wallpaper is “translation” and “countdown”; my red wallpaper is “flashlight” and “camera”.

when necessary, i just spend 2 seconds to change the corresponding wallpaper.

every year apple makes certain upgrades to its own apps, and this year's upgrades can be said to be particularly big.

congratulations to iphone users first!

when you are on a call, there is a recording button in the upper left corner. click it to start recording. the other party will then hear a very clear prompt: this call will be recorded.

i know it's hard for you to accept, but it's better than nothing...

after recording, we can find the recording file named "talk with xxx" in the memo, and we can view the transcribed text after clicking it.

however, this feature has not yet been officially launched, and you should be able to experience it in ios 18.1 in october.

in addition, according to macrumors, the latest ios 18.1 beta 4 version,phone recording is no longer a privilege for iphone 15 pro (max) and later models, has been expanded to the iphone xs series.

if the report is accurate, this basically means that as long as the phone is upgraded to ios 18, call recording will be available.

i don’t know whether brother guozi has come to his senses or has been planning to gradually open up. i can only say that this wave of operations is a sign of pulling back from the brink:

after all, it is a bit unreasonable that a rigidly needed function is stuck in the model.

in addition to phone recording, "real-time voice message" also supports chinese in ios 18(this feature existed a long time ago, but it does not support chinese).

the voice message we always hear when watching american tv series is “this is xx. it’s inconvenient to answer the phone now. please leave a message after the beep.”

after turning on this feature, if someone calls you and you——

if you turn on do not disturb mode/don't answer the call for a long time/activate the message leaving function/activate the call hanging up, the other party will hear: please leave a message after the prompt tone.

note that these are secondary, the key is:

when the other party leaves a message, you will see real-time subtitles. if you feel it is necessary to answer the call, you can pick up the call before the other party hangs up.

if the conversation is disconnected, you will receive a text message from the other party. you can listen to the message and view the text after clicking it.

to be honest, for someone like me who doesn't like answering the phone, this is a top lifesaver.

however, chinese people are still unfamiliar with this function. according to feedback from netizens, their voicemails are filled with couriers talking to themselves.

this time, ios 18 has greatly enhanced the calculator.first it supported “history” and officially launched the “delete” button.

this delete button has finally been launched——

not everyone can guess that the “delete” button on a calculator is to swipe left on the number area.

in addition, ios 18 does not require landscape mode to open the scientific calculator, and the calculator also supports exchange rate and unit conversion.

it even comes with a handwritten calculation function for the memo, which supports directly calculating the results after handwriting the formula.

it can be said that the current calculator is a qualified calculator.

in addition to the handwriting calculation function and phone recording transcription function mentioned above, ios 18 memos also has two minor enhancements.

one is the collapse paragraph function.

a small triangle will now automatically appear on the left side of the title. click it to collapse the paragraph, making it easier for you to edit and browse when recording long texts.

another thing is that text can also be highlighted in color, with a total of five primary colors to choose from.

by the way, the memo also supports audio recording, but the important “audio to text” function does not currently support chinese.

now, in addition to the original "schedule", the calendar also integrates reminders, shichao personally likes it very much.

in the past, many people looked for third-party apps just for this function.

the calendar supports multiple browsing modes, such as single day, double day and list.

and many third-party calendar apps require payment to see the monthly view.

j people are ecstatic.

you can also create and edit reminders directly in the calendar.

it can be said that this is a complete calendar. we no longer have to run between "calendar" and "reminders".

when browsing the web, we will inevitably encounter some annoying elements, such as advertisements and pop-ups.

and now, you can remove it with the help of safari.

however, brother guozi also reminded us that this function cannot permanently remove ads, it is just a temporary solution for you.

but the most enjoyable use that shichao saw was not to remove ads, but...

be a thanos for once!

the page and logic of the photos have changed a bit too much this time.

the tab bar at the bottom is gone, and the entire page is just photos. it will be very strange if you open it for the first time.

when the beta version was released, everyone was complaining about it. as expected, after the official version was released, complaints about the album became a hot topic.

but brother guozi will definitely not change it back, so shichao will briefly introduce how to use the new version of the album.

you can think of the new version of the album as a long screenshot. you can see all the sections by just swiping down.

but after scrolling down, the first thing you see is an unfamiliar name: "recent days".

you know what, i think this feature is pretty good.

because you can see your recent representative photos of each day, you will be unconsciously brought back to your memories.

for example, when seeing the following photo, shichao rememberedi had a nice meal with my colleagues on friday, had some chinese takeout on thursday, and got a 70% off mobile phone on wednesday.

if you scroll down further, you can also see a collection of travel photos from various places compiled for you by iphone.

at this moment, you will immediately revisit in your mind the cities you visited this year, the museums you visited, and the delicious food you tasted.

then scroll down again and you can see the familiar media types, deleted, hidden, classified albums, etc.

although netizens could not accept this change at first, shichao got used to it and thought it was okay.

in a way, this change brings the photo back to its essence.

it is no longer a thing that just takes up memory, but through automatic classification, you can recall that day and that journey when you scroll down the photos. isn't this exactly the original intention of taking photos?

of course, if you don’t like this layout order, you can adjust it as needed in the settings at the bottom.

the control center has ushered in a new reform.it can't even be called "control center" anymore.

first of all, in terms of appearance, it is bald and ugly.

but being bald also means that it has become stronger.

first, there is a power off button in the upper right corner.

second, those who often need to switch cellular data are in luck. the control center supports direct switching, and there is no need to click through layers of settings.

third, the control center has become a kind of "launch pad."

in the past, the control center only offered a dozen or so actions, but now that limitation has been lifted.

you can add multiple pages in the control center, and each page can have up to 38 operations. . .

by default, the first page is common operations, the second page is the media center, and the third page is data control.

long press in the control center to add pages, add controls, and adjust the size and layout of controls.

why does shichao say it has become a launch pad? because in addition to the system function switches, you can now also launch third-party apps and shortcuts in the control center.

if third-party app developers adapt well, the control center will be very convenient in the future.

at present, many developers have already adapted it. for example, the third-party health app "grow" can calculate your stress level through hrv heart rate variability.

after updating to ios 18, you can add grow to the control center.

this way, you can not only open grow at any time, but also quickly check the stress index calculated by grow: a smiling face represents normal, and a sad face represents high stress.

just imagine, if wechat and alipay are adapted in the future, we can probably start scanning the code to pay by swiping down the screen.

shichao also expects major apps to come up with more new features.

when lending your phone to a friend, you may worry that some of your private software may be seen.

but ios 18 supports locking apps, face id or password is required to verify your identity before opening these apps.

they are also blurred in the multitasking background, and notifications will not show details.

the most important thing is that it is very easy to open. you can find it by long pressing the icon on the desktop.

if there is a more sensitive app, you can also choose to hide it completely.

in this way, the application icon will "disappear" on the desktop, and you will not receive any notifications from this app. you can only find it in the hidden items in the app library after verifying your identity.

if you get motion sickness easily when playing with your phone in the car, you can try turning on the "show vehicle motion prompts function" newly added in ios 18.

the most common explanation for motion sickness issensory conflict。

the vestibular system in our ears is like a gyroscope. when it senses that the car is accelerating or turning, it tells the brain:we are on the move.

but what our eyes see (such as the screen) is still, which tells the brain:nonsense, we're not moving.

this sensory conflict will make you feel nauseous and want to vomit.

after turning on the vehicle movement prompt, some black dots will appear on the iphone screen. the black dots will move accordingly with the vehicle, unifying your sensory information and reducing discomfort.

however, the effect varies from person to person. for example, shichao's friend is prone to motion sickness and gets dizzy no matter what.

if you are interested, you can try it.

this feature called "eye tracking" is actually not a cool way to control the phone, but is designed for disabled people in need.

after opening it, the pointer will follow wherever you look. stare at a place for 2 seconds and then click to interact.

but after shichao's actual test, although the pointer tracking is quite accurate, it is very tiring and the eyes have to be pressed hard against the screen all the time to control it.

this is a feature designed for the hearing impaired. when a song is playing, the phone will vibrate accordingly to the music.

shichao also tested it and found the phone felt really cool in his hand.

you may be curious, do deaf people also have the need to listen to music?

yes.

because not all hearing-impaired people are completely deaf, some can hear low-frequency sounds such as drums and bass.

at many concerts, sign language teachers are specially arranged.

when hearing-impaired people listen to music, in addition to wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants, they also use vibrations to feel the music, such as not wearing shoes and letting the soles of their feet touch the ground, or sitting as close to the speakers as possible.

therefore, this music tactile feedback allows the hearing-impaired to have a closer contact with music at home.

next are some smaller updates, which shichao will mention briefly and that’s all you need to know.

open the game and ios 18 automatically starts the game mode.

according to the official statement, this can assign the highest priority of the processor to the game to optimize the experience and stabilize the frame rate. at the same time, it will also increase the sampling frequency of bluetooth devices and reduce the delay of headphones and handles.

the charging limit can be more flexible.

it supports pausing while shooting. the benefit i can think of is that it is more convenient to shoot some transitions. . .

the flashlight's light brightness can be adjusted more intuitively, and the beam radius can be adjusted.

the settings support viewing search history and recommendations, and all app-related settings are included in the "app" settings.

when the phone runs out of battery and is turned off, the time will be displayed in the upper left corner; the dial pad finally supports t9 dialing, but currently does not support chinese; password management has an independent app; iphone can be mirrored to mac for use.

finally, there is the most important ai part of ios 18.

according to the us version of iphone tested by shichao before,apple ai is currently online to rewrite text, summarize articles, notifications, emails, and remove people from pictures.

because it will take some time for ai to be available on iphones in mainland china, i will not introduce it in detail in this article. once ai is officially available, i will give you a hands-on test as soon as possible.

that’s all. you can judge whether it is necessary to upgrade to ios 18 based on your own needs.

regarding battery life, heat generation, and smoothness, there is no obvious difference between the 15 pro and the 15 pro before and after the upgrade. these conditions also vary from machine to machine. friends who have already upgraded to ios 18 can share their feelings in the comment section.