The smartphone market is ever-evolving. Every year, new models come out, along with massive updates. Both Android and Apple update their respective device operating systems every year with new software, security, and features.
Apple releases a massive update for its iPhone’s iOS annually. The most recent update was iOS 18, which was released a week after the company introduced its new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lineup.
As of the 16th of September 2024, anyone with an eligible iPhone device that is compatible with iOS 18 can download the update. Updating your iPhone’s operating system is important for a variety of reasons. These include security enhancements, bug fixes, accessing new features, and more. If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest tech, hardware that can access the latest software updates is essential.
What Does The iOS 18 Update Include?
iOS 18 is the eighteenth and current major release of Apple’s operating system for their iPhone device. It includes a range of new features, including customisation options, artificial intelligence, and more. We’ve compiled a list of all the new features below.
Home Screen
For the iPhone’s home screen, iOS 18 brings in a range of new customisation options. These include:
- Flexible arrangement options for placing app icons and widgets on the home screen. For example, this includes along the bottom of the screen or off to the side.
- Dark icon options give the home screen a ‘darker’ aesthetic. You can also adjust when the iPhone enters dark mode or have it always turned on.
- The iOS 18 update introduces an all-new colour tinting option. You can apply any colour to your app icons and widgets, and iOS can also suggest a colour that complements your wallpaper.
- With the new iOS update, there’s also the option to make the app icons and widgets larger and remove the name underneath.
Photos
The Photos app, built into the operating software, received a range of new features and an overhaul as part of the iOS 18 update. These include:
- The Photos app received a redesign, marking its biggest feature update ever. The redesign includes a simplified, streamlined view.
- The new ‘Collections’ feature of the app will automatically organise a user’s photo library by helpful topics. It can be browsed through a collage, grid, on a map, or by memories.
- New customisation options allow users to reorder, add, and remove Collection rows, as well as add just the items they want to Pinned Collections.
- The new iOS 18 Trips feature automatically organises your travel photos and videos into collections so you can relive the trip.
- Recent Days lets you review recent photos taken without the clutter of screenshots.
- Video speed control features to slow down high frame rate video content with in and out points.
- There is a filter button in the Photos app grid that helps users reduce clutter, sort by specific media types and favourites, or hide specific media from view.
- The utilities section of the Photos app includes additional helpful Collections like Documents, Receipts, QR Codes, and more.
Messages
A range of changes and features were added to iOS’s Messages app. These include new text effects to bring conversations to life. For example, this feature allows for adding visual effects to certain words, letters, emojis, or phrases.
New text formatting options allow users to add bold, underline, italics, and strikethrough to any letter, word, or phrase when messaging. Users can also schedule messages. This means they can compose a message now and schedule it to be sent later.
Emoji and sticker Tapbacks allow users to react to a message using any emoji or sticker. It also gives you access to the Tapbacks you and your friends send the most with just a swipe.
RCS messaging support has also improved for people with iPhones who are texting non-iPhone users. This includes delivery and read receipts and higher-resolution photos and videos.
Lock Screen
The lock screen has received various updates with the new iOS 18 update. This includes custom lock screen controls, which allow users to choose controls from the controls gallery from their favourite apps.
The action button can also be customised with controls from the controls gallery (iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max). The font can now be customised for the time with 10 new numeral scripts in Bangla, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki, Telugu, and Urdu.
Other Updates
The iOS 18 update introduced new features to a range of other apps and settings on iPhone devices. We’ve compiled a list of these updates below.
- Safari received a ‘distraction control’ feature, which allows users to hide items on a web page that they find disruptive to their browsing.
- The Maps app now allows custom walking and hiking routes to be added. There is now also a ‘Places Library’ for combining all saved places, guides, and hiking routes.
- The iOS 18 update adds a new ‘Gaming Mode’ that minimises background activity to sustain the highest frame rate and drastically improve responsiveness.
The iPhone’s Wallet and Journal app also received updates as part of iOS 18. The operating system also received a range of new accessibility features, updates to security and privacy, and accessory support (like AirPods).
What iPhones Will Miss Out On The iOS 18 Update?
Not all iPhones are receiving the new iOS 18 update. Below, we’ve listed all the iPhones that are compatible with the iOS 18 update. All other iPhones will miss out on it.
- iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS, XS Max
- iPhone XR,
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Do Refurbished iPhones Still Receive Updates?
Whether a refurbished iPhone still receives updates will depend on your device's model. Refurbished iPhones can still receive updates, just like brand-new ones. The ability for an iPhone to receive an update will depend on the model, regardless of whether it’s preowned or brand-new.
Apple typically supports its devices for 5 to 7 years. So, if you get a refurbished iPhone 11 or newer, it will still be eligible for the latest iOS 18 update.
Buy Refurbished iPhones at OzMobiles
If you’re looking for a refurbished iPhone that can run the latest iOS 18 update, OzMobiles stocks a wide range of Apple devices, including the iPhone 15 series. We also pride ourselves on having the best prices, so if you find a better deal elsewhere, we’ll beat it by $10 (terms and conditions apply).
All the devices we stock go through a comprehensive 72-point check refurbishment process in our Melbourne headquarters. We test the phone’s hardware and software during this process and ensure they run optimally.
The phones we sell, including our iPhone devices, also have a free 12-month warranty and a 30-day risk-free return period. So, if you have any concerns or have a change of heart, you can contact our team for assistance.
If you’re looking for a refurbished iPhone compatible with the latest iOS software, the OzMobiles team can help. Contact us today, and we can connect you with the perfect phone.
