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Apple Reportedly Releasing iOS 18.4 in April With Major Siri Enhancements

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iOS 18.4 Expected in April With Major Siri Enhancements and New Features

Apple recently rolled out iOS 18.3, following the release of iOS 18.2 last month. Now, reports suggest that the next significant update, iOS 18.4, is expected to arrive in April. This update is rumored to bring notable improvements to Siri, integrating advanced Apple Intelligence features. Additionally, iPhone users might receive new emojis, along with expanded language support for Apple’s AI-powered tools, making the operating system more versatile and user-friendly.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provided insights into the upcoming iOS 18.4 release. He stated that this update would be a major one, particularly due to the introduction of an upgraded version of Siri. Apple has been working on enhancing its digital assistant, and iOS 18.4 will reportedly mark a significant step forward in its functionality. The update is said to be scheduled for release by April, aligning with Apple’s push to integrate AI-driven features more deeply into its ecosystem.

One of the biggest changes in iOS 18.4 is Siri’s ability to process and utilize personal data more effectively. With this update, Siri will be able to analyze content on a user’s device—including emails, messages, photos, calendar events, and files—to generate more context-aware responses. This means that instead of generic answers, Siri will provide more personalized assistance, making the digital assistant smarter and more intuitive. Additionally, the update is expected to introduce an improved version of App Intents, allowing users to control their devices more precisely through voice commands.

Beyond Siri’s enhancements, iOS 18.4 is expected to introduce new emojis, expanding the range of expressive icons available to users. Leaks suggest that Apple may add a fingerprint, a tired face, a harp, a root vegetable, a leafless tree, and a splatter emoji. Furthermore, Apple Intelligence is set to gain expanded language support, with Chinese, English (India and Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese among the newly supported languages. With these updates, Apple aims to make iOS even more inclusive and AI-driven, providing a richer experience for users worldwide.

Apple Clarifies Siri Privacy After $95 Million Settlement

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Apple has clarified its stance on Siri’s privacy practices following a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that accused the company of recording private conversations after unintentional activations of its voice assistant. The lawsuit alleged that these conversations were then shared with third parties, including advertisers.

Apple denied the claims, stating that it has never sold or used Siri data to build marketing profiles. The company emphasized that no data was shared for advertising purposes, and no audio recordings were retained unless users explicitly consented to improve Siri’s performance. As part of the settlement, Apple agreed to pay up to $20 per device to affected users of Siri-enabled devices like iPhones and Apple Watches.

The company clarified that certain Siri features do require real-time data input from Apple servers to function correctly, but it uses the minimum amount of data necessary. Apple also reiterated its commitment to enhancing privacy features for Siri in the future.

This settlement comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny, including a similar lawsuit involving Google’s Voice Assistant, which is currently pending in federal court in California.

 

OpenAI Introduces ‘Tasks’ Beta Feature to Compete with Virtual Assistants

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On Tuesday, OpenAI unveiled a new beta feature called “Tasks” for ChatGPT, marking the company’s entry into the virtual assistant arena, aiming to compete with established platforms like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. This feature allows ChatGPT users to request actions to be performed at a specified future time, such as one-time reminders for events like concert ticket sales or recurring tasks such as daily weather updates or weekly news briefings.

Based on interactions with users, ChatGPT will also proactively suggest tasks that users can choose to accept or decline. This new function broadens the scope of what ChatGPT can offer, making it more assistant-like, similar to Alexa and Siri.

The launch follows a growing trend where AI-powered systems are reshaping virtual assistant functionalities. Amazon, for example, has been revamping its Alexa service with generative AI capabilities to remain competitive, while Apple has incorporated its “Apple Intelligence” technology into Siri. In collaboration with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, Apple now seeks user consent before sending queries to OpenAI’s services.

OpenAI’s “Tasks” feature will be available to Plus, Team, and Pro users globally in the coming days, with the web platform being the first to get access.