You might be chomping at the bit to install the iOS 18.4 beta because of one cool feature
The iOS 18.3 beta updates revealed three new features coming with the stable version of the update. One was the changes made to summarized notifications that make it easier for iPhone users to know that a specific notification they received was summarized by Apple Intelligence and could contain "fake news." These notifications are italicized in iOS 18.3 helping them stand out.
For example, if you receive such a notification from the BBC that says that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, had shot himself, you'll know by the italics to take this with a grain of salt. The BBC and other news agencies had complained to Apple about the incorrect AI summaries that sent incorrect news to iPhone users.
The iOS 18.3 update will also bring back a beloved feature to the calculator that Apple had previously removed. The feature returning to the calculator allows users to press the "equals" key to keep repeating the last operation. Let's say you multiply 11 by 3. Hit the "equals" key to see the correct answer of 33. Hit the "equals" key again and the previous answer of 33 is multiplied by 3 again to 99. Hit the equals key again and you'll see the answer to 99 multiplied by 3 which is 297. Press the "equals" key one more time to see the answer to 297 multiplied by 3 (891). It's a function that iPhone users missed for the calculator and the majority are glad it's back.
The iOS 18.3 update will also add two new features to Camera Control's visual intelligence. When you open Camera Control, an AI-based camera surfaces that helps you learn more about the world around you. With the upcoming update, when your iPhone finds a poster for an event with a date on it, you'll be able to add that date to your calendar. And visual intelligence will be able to identify plants and animals after the iOS 18.3 update is installed. The Camera Control feature is available only on the iPhone 16 line.
9to5Mac posted a chart showing that based on past data, iOS 18.4 beta 1 will arrive fairly quickly after iOS 18.3 is released. I just recently left iOS 18.3 beta 3 to install the release candidate of iOS 18.3. However, I plan on returning to the beta program when iOS 18.4 beta 1 becomes available. That's because new Apple Intelligence features are expected in the next iOS 18 build including a more personal Siri.
"Personal Siri" will be able to go through your calendar and events, read your recent messages (both missives you've sent out and those you received), and understand what is on your screen. As a result, Siri will have a better idea of what information you're looking to find and will have the capability to go get it. As a long-time critic of Siri, I am truly looking forward to seeing how iOS 18.4 improves Siri which is why I plan on installing the beta as soon as it is released.
For an idea of what Apple has in mind for "Personal Siri," check out the ad it released back in September which we embedded into this article.
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