iOS 18.3 Update Overview

General Information

• Release: Apple released iOS 18.3 to the public.
• Availability: Accessible worldwide for all iOS 18 supported devices.
• Installation: Update can be installed via Settings > Software Update.
• Update Size: Not as large as iOS 18.2.

Key Features

Calculator Updates

• Continuous Multiplication: Users can now tap the equal sign again to continue multiplying, a feature reintroduced from iOS 17.

Voicemail Enhancements

• Easier Blocking: New option to block callers from voicemail directly from the interface.

Apple Intelligence Updates

• Automatic Enablement: Apple Intelligence is automatically enabled on all supported devices if available in the user's country.
• Notification Summaries: Summaries shown in italics; option to disable specific notification types directly from the lock screen.
• Errors in Summaries: Users are informed that summaries may contain errors, especially in news and entertainment categories.

Messages App Updates

• Gen Emoji Access: Gen Emoji feature is now accessible from the app menu, rather than only through the emoji keyboard.

Screenshot Warning

• PDF Cropping Warning: Warning message appears when cropping screenshots, noting that cropped content may still be accessible in some apps.

App Store Improvements

• Natural Language Search: Users can now perform searches using natural language to find apps.

Camera Control for iPhone 16 Models

• Visual Intelligence: Updated to identify plants and animals via camera control.
• Calendar Event Addition: Users can add events to their calendar from posters or flyers directly through the camera.
• Accessibility Updates: Updated icons to match dark mode; added option for locking focus and exposure.

Security and Bug Fixes

• Keyboard Issue Fixed: Fixed issue where the keyboard disappeared during typed Siri requests.
• Audio Playback Fix: Resolved issue where Apple Music playback would continue after closing the app.
• Touch Bug Fixed: Resolved touch issues across devices.
• Notification Icon Fix: Fixed mismatch of icons in notifications.
• Wallpaper Issues: Some users still report wallpaper saturation issues. iPhone 15 wallpapers are not yet available.

Performance and Battery Life

• Performance: Smooth scrolling and app launching, even on older devices.
• Thermal Performance: Device temperature remains cool post-update.
• Battery Life: Improvement noted over betas, with better performance during use.

Usage Statistics

• Performance Metrics: Geekbench 6 scores: 3534 (single-core), 8781 (multi-core).

Upcoming Updates

• Expectations for iOS 18.4 Beta: Anticipated release of iOS 18.4 beta 1 soon, with expectations of new features and updates for Apple Intelligence and Siri.

Conclusion

• Recommendation: Users are encouraged to update to iOS 18.3 for improvements in stability and battery life.