The long-delayed and missing iOS 18 Apple Intelligence feature is Apple’s current focus when it comes to iPhone software, with the next AI addition coming via iOS 18.4 this spring. It’s not surprising, as Apple has been teasing this release schedule.
Even more surprising is the side effect of the development of Apple Intelligence mentioned in a more recent report. Insiders say that iOS 19 will see feature release delays similar to what Apple did with iOS 18.
For example, a Siri LLM chatbot like Apple’s ChatGPT may be announced at WWDC 2019 next summer, but the announcement will not be released until spring 2026. This is because Apple software engineers are still working on other Apple Intelligence features that are not yet ready. .
As a result, some iOS 19 features may be delayed, although reports do not give any indication. But what I am sure of is that Apple will also build non-AI functions for iOS 19 to improve the usability of the platform and provide new features for millions of iPhone users with devices that do not support Apple Intelligence.
While we wait for a more useful leak of iOS 19, we already have a concept video from a designer who imagines the type of features that Apple can bring to the iPhone in 2025. As always with concept videos, I will note that it does not show confirmed or existing products.
But I like both tricks of the designer Oofus made for iOS 19 video that: A better way to share images via AirDrop, and Apple Intelligence support for iPhone images.
The video is just 77 seconds long, mimicking the kind of iOS presentation that Apple might prepare for a new software release. The concept covers a variety of ideas that are relevant to the evolution of iOS, especially in terms of customization.
Apple has added some new ways for iPhone users to customize the UI in iOS 18, similar to what Android has offered for years. It’s easy to assume Apple will expand the customization options it offers iPhone users.
Designers envisioned a way to add stickers to the Lock Screen, a trick that some iPhone users may appreciate. In addition, the concept envisions support in iMessage for custom backgrounds, which other chat applications offer. Interestingly, these customization options will change the typical blue message for iMessage to any color option. I’m not sure Apple will lose that button design element.
Oofus then it presents iOS 19 features that will be more useful than the above UI customization options. The designer envisioned a gesture called Flick, which allows you to flick images from one iPhone to another via AirDrop. Flick looks like the NameDrop contact sharing feature that Apple has added to iOS.
As someone who shares a lot of content via AirDrop between Apple devices, I’d love to see Flick-like gestures in iOS 19. Just select a file or group of files and flick it to the other device. A confirmation screen will still be required to avoid accidentally sharing it with others.
Finally, the concept video shows Apple could add Apple Intelligence support to the image. I also often take pictures of things I find online on my iPhone, and organizing or even remembering them can be a chore. That’s where AI can help. Apple Intelligence can store information and open it when I need it.
Microsoft developed it with that in mind, the well-known Recall feature. Google created a new Screenshot app for Pixel phones that takes a different and more useful approach.
The concept video imagines Apple Intelligence being able to extract information from images, like QR codes, without using deeper functions.
That said, I’m definitely glad Apple developed iOS 19 features similar to what the designers envisioned, especially the Flick trick and smarter images.
