Everything to know about Apple iOS 18.3

The first beta of Apple iOS 18.3 is out, and it includes several new AI features, changes, and some important bug fixes. AI, or Apple Intelligence, was supposed to be fully released in the iOS 18.1 or 18.2 updates, but there are a few features still missing. They can be expected to arrive as part of iOS 18.3.

The company is taking its time with the remaining features to ensure they are fully ready for release. This article will explore the features and bug fixes included in the iOS 18.3 Beta 1 update.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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What's new in the Apple iOS 18.3 update?

Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 (Image via Apple)

Due to the holiday season, Apple has slowed the release of new beta versions. So far, iOS 18.3 Beta 1 is the only version available, and it includes the following features:

1) Generate images from sketches in Image PlayGround

Generating images from sketches was a promised feature of Apple Intelligence during WWDC 24, and it's finally here in Apple iOS 18.3 Beta 1.

An X user, ShrimpApplePro (@VNchocoTaco), posted about code changes to the AI specific to the "Image Diffusion Personalized Sketch" model.

This is the model that was responsible for generating images from sketches. Essentially, you will be able to turn simple sketches into perfect-looking pictures on the go.

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2) Skin tone for Genmoji

Genmoji creation (Image via Apple)

When you created Genmojis, there was no way to choose skin tones until iOS 18.2. With the release of Apple iOS 18.3 Beta 1, you can now choose your skin tone when creating a new one.

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3) Updated Notification Summary

The Notification Summary feature of Apple Intelligence was designed to summarize grouped notifications and long messages into concise messages that are easy to understand by the user.

However, it wasn't that short and was often confusing. Not to mention, the summary included sensitive messages at times. The Notification Summary model has been updated to address these issues.

As more beta versions are released, additional features could be added. There's a high possibility they will be added to the final iOS 18.3 update.

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Changes and bug fixes in the Apple iOS 18.3 update

Some users complained about the screen's unresponsiveness in the iOS 18.2 update, especially when a screen protector was applied. Battery drain was also an issue that many users experienced in iOS 18.2.

YouTuber iDeviceHelp tested Apple iOS 18.3 Beta 1, and both the screen responsiveness and battery drain issues seem to be sorted. However, more testing is needed before we can confirm whether the update has fixed these two issues for good.

Apple also fixed the Writing Tools API, so third-party apps will be able to use it without any errors. Also, this update should contain some critical security fixes.

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When will the Apple iOS 18.3 update possibly be released?

As of now, Apple has only released the tested iOS 18.3 Beta 1 version. There will be two more beta versions, followed by an RC release. Thus, it should take about a month for the final Apple iOS 18.3 update to be released. We expect it either by the last week of January or early February unless Apple decides to release beta 4 or RC 2.