Apple has unveiled its first beta of iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, showcasing an array of AI-powered features set to enhance the user experience across numerous iPhones later this year. While the update brings several universal improvements, Apple has introduced specific features tailored for Indian users, making the operating system even more versatile and user-friendly.
Custom Numerals and Lock Screens
iOS 18 allows users to personalize their contact posters and lock screens using numerals from 12 different Indian languages. These languages include Arabic, Arabic Indic, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki, and Telugu. This feature not only caters to the diverse linguistic landscape of India but also provides users with a more personalized and culturally relevant interface.
Live Voicemail Transcription and Caller ID
One of the standout features is live voicemail transcription in Indian English. This feature enables users to read transcriptions of their voicemails in real-time, making it easier to manage messages. Additionally, the iPhones running iOS 18 will support live caller ID, helping users identify callers more efficiently.
Enhanced Dual SIM Functionality
Since the iPhone 11, Apple has supported dual SIM cards with a combination of a physical SIM card and an eSIM. iOS 18 takes this a step further by introducing a dedicated SIM switch button within the redesigned control center. This new feature allows users to switch between two phone numbers seamlessly, offering more convenience for those who juggle multiple contacts.
Siri’s Multilingual Capabilities
Siri on iOS 18 has been enhanced to understand Indian English mixed with several local languages, including Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. This improvement ensures more accurate and context-aware responses from Siri, making the voice assistant more useful for Indian users.
Expanded Translation Support
The new Translate app in iOS 18 now supports Hindi and can perform system-wide translations, including in Safari and the Notes app. This feature broadens the accessibility of iOS for Hindi-speaking users, enabling smoother communication and information exchange.
Alphabetical Layouts for Indian Languages
Apple has also added support for alphabetical layouts in 11 Indian languages, including Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Enhanced language search capabilities are available for Assamese, Bangla, Devanagari, and Gujarati, streamlining the user experience further.
iOS 18 Eligible Devices
iOS 18 will be available on a wide range of devices, ensuring that many users can benefit from the new features. The list includes models from the iPhone 11 up to the latest iPhone 15 series, as well as the iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd Gen.
