Apple has now rolled out the latest software updates for iPhones and iPads, iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. And with this, Apple is finally bringing a host of new features, particularly focusing on AI tools under the company’s “Apple Intelligence” suite.
One of the highlight features in the iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates is the introduction of Image Playground, which allows users to create unique images based on prompts or suggestions, using ChatGPT. Available both as a standalone app and as a feature within Messages, Image Playground can generate images from text descriptions, or from existing photos stored in the device’s camera roll. This tool, which integrates with apps like Freeform, Pages, and Keynote, also provides customization options like animation and illustration styles.
There is a catch, of course: it cannot generate photorealistic images of people (so this might put the fears of deepfakes to rest).
Alongside Image Playground, the update introduces Genmoji, a new feature that allows users to create custom emojis from text prompts. By tapping a dedicated button on the emoji keyboard, users can generate personalized emoji-like stickers based on descriptions or photos, offering a fun, interactive way to enhance conversations. This feature’s integration into iMessages makes it a likely favorite for group chats and casual interactions. Both Image Playground and Genmoji integrate with iCloud as well.
Other features include a revamped Siri and the Writing Tools app, both of which are integrated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Going forward, Siri can now tap into the generative AI chatbot’s language processing capabilities to provide better responses and perform tasks such as creating an itinerary or generating a workout plan. The integration into Writing Tools will aid in content creation as well, as users can compose text by asking ChatGPT to complete sentences or generate new ideas. Users do not need a ChatGPT account to access these features, although those with an account can log in to unlock additional features.
“Building on Apple Intelligence, users with an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro can instantly learn more about their surroundings with visual intelligence with Camera Control. And now with ChatGPT integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, users can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise without having to switch between apps, helping them get things done faster and easier than ever before,” Apple noted in a blog post. For now, Apple Intelligence comes with support for English in a handful of countries, including Australia and the UK. The iPhone-maker added that it will bring support for more languages over the next year (including Chinese, EGerman, Italian, and Japanese.
In addition to this, Apple brings Visual Intelligence to the Camera Control feature of the iPhone 16 lineup. This feature enables the camera to identify and provide information about objects in the viewfinder (something that can be useful while learning about landmarks, for example). There is also the return of the Volume Control feature, which was removed in a prior update. It can be permanently displayed on the lock screen. In addition to this, there are new actions for the Fitness app in Shortcuts.
