According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple's next software update, iOS 18, is expected to include generative AI capabilities and more storage capacity to store them.

iOS 18 is expected to be one of the most significant updates in the operating system's history, with a major focus on artificial intelligence. We previously reported that the software is expected to be unveiled at WWDC 2024, scheduled for June of this year.

According to a newsletter by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, "When Apple unveils iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, the company is expected to spend considerable time discussing how it sees AI. This will reportedly include how AI should be integrated into Apple products and why the company's approach is so different from that of its competitors.

"Apple is also still pondering how it will handle privacy in its AI capabilities, which is one reason why its internal efforts are more conservative than those of its rivals," Garman speculates.

The newsletter also notes that in the U.S., the company has held discussions with Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic about becoming a partner in iOS 18's AI capabilities; Gurman notes that "Gemini has been working with Apple on a number of projects, including the development of an AI feature within Apple's operating system that would allow The idea is that while the chatbot will run, Apple's own AI engine will handle more behind-the-scenes tasks throughout the new software," he added.

While it is too early to truly speculate whether the tech giants' partnership will come to fruition, recent reports have suggested that it could happen with the latest iPhone 16 model, scheduled for release in September. However, Gurman notes that a direct partnership between the two is unlikely, and instead Apple will likely work with several partners for AI features in iOS 18.

Additional rumors from Korea (via @Tech_Reve) also suggest that the iPhone 16 will come with upgraded RAM and storage to support the new AI features.

According to the report, the base model of the iPhone 16 could come with 8GB RAM, 256 SSD, or both, and integrated AI capabilities to infer, store, and process commands. The report suggests that extra storage space is needed for generative AI functions.

Compared to the current iPhone 15 model, there are significant improvements in both RAM and SSD, with the base 15 model coming with 6GB RAM and 128GB SSD.

In other news, Garman noted that the new iPhone models could have more customization options for the home screen. Bloomberg was fairly scant on details but we expect to see a comprehensive redesign along with new generative AI features.