iOS 18 review: The ‘Androidisation’ of the iPhone is here with a twist of Apple

iOS 18

For years now most Android users have had a complaint about the iPhones. No, it’s not the price though that argument can also be strongly made. But it’s the lack of customisation. All iPhones looked the same because Apple didn’t allow people to tinker with the home screen. The icons remained unchanged, you couldn’t really rearrange them in any way you wanted and while it looked neat and clean, it just lacked the fun factor.

Apple started to levitate towards customisation a few years ago. In came the widgets and suddenly not all iPhones looked the same. Yet, it wasn’t really a lot of customisation like Android offers. With iOS 18, Apple has taken the plunge and gone in hard on customisations. I have been using the iOS 18 developer beta for a while and now that the public beta is live and you can download it with a few caveats thrown in, it’s time to tell you what big changes iOS 18 will bring for iPhone users across the world.

iOS 18: Change is the only constant

For years, iPhone users have watched Android users flaunt their personalised home screens — some with envy and some with a "I-don’t-care" attitude. iOS 18 will please the former lot for sure. Apple’s latest operating system seems to have taken a nice, breezy leaf out of Android’s playbook.

The benchmark of any customised home screen is, of course, the look and feel icons. Here, iOS 18 takes quite a few steps forward. You can now bathe your icons in the soft glow of dark mode, and even choose from a light or dark variant. It's a small step for icon-kind, but a giant leap for those tired of staring at the same icons for years. Apple still gives you that option — something I didn’t exercise.

Apple has kept a slight leash on this customisation. Yes, you can customise the tint of your icons, but only to a pre-selected range. Still, it is a lot of fun to change the icon colours. Since it is a developer beta, the dark mode icons are restricted to Apple’s native apps.  The home screen on iOS 18 looks wildly different and a lot of iPhone users will enjoy that.

Truth be told, the wallpaper on the iPhone — at least on an unlocked iPhone — is rather useless. You couldn’t see it for years as the app layout completely blocked it. Not anymore. The new customisable interface allows users to take control of the app's layout. Think of it like rearranging furniture — you can keep it anywhere you want and finally see or flaunt your waller.

There are a lot of blank spaces now on the home screen of the iPhone which gives it a nice, clean look.

Also, if you want you can say goodbye to the app labels. iOS 18 introduces a "large mode" option for app icons. While it creates a cleaner aesthetic, there's a catch: those helpful little labels vanish completely. While it’s not an issue for for instantly recognisable icons — say a Safari, or an Instagram — but for the rest? Finding that specific app in the App Library becomes a game of icon charades. Unless you really know your app icons, it becomes a task to identify the app which you rarely use but have tucked in somewhere in the myriad of apps on your home screen.

iOS 18 also introduces a smart feature that automatically adjusts the app icons visibility based on the time of day. This works in perfect harmony with the system-wide light and dark mode, creating a nice experience. There’s also a handy sun icon that allows you to dim the wallpaper to a more comfortable level.

What about the lock screen? While the overall Lock Screen layout remains familiar, Apple made a key change that unlocks some user control. The ever-present flashlight and camera buttons can now be swapped out for other functions, finally! I am sure many iPhone users were tired of seeing the torch and the camera icon on the lock screen. This may seem rather minor but it further gives users the customisation option. And hence leading to more Androidisation.

iOS 18: It’s all under control

The Control Centre has been an integral part of the iPhone experience. So much so that many Android brands have blatantly copied it and did what Android users wanted — offer customisation. Well, move over now as Apple has taken its customisation streak well and deep to the Control Centre as well.

iOS 18 gives you complete control over your Control Center. Gone are the days of a pre-defined layout. You can rearrange all the system controls, however, you want. Widgets also get the super-size treatment. Whether you crave a single block for a quick glance at the weather or a full-page display for a detailed calendar view, the choice is yours.

Furthermore, filling up a single page is no longer the end of the road. iOS 18 allows you to create up to 10 whole pages of customised controls, ensuring you have everything you need at your fingertips. Since it is in beta mode right now, there isn’t the option to add third-party apps currently but by the time the stable build is rolled out, it should be available making Control Centre even more useful.

iOS 18: Updates to native apps

Let’s start with the Photos app. The new Photos app at the first glance is pretty overwhelming. I won’t blame you if you get “what the hell just happened here” vibe when you first open the new Photos app. Apple has taken customisation theme and implemented almost everywhere — and while the learning curve is there, the changes are for the better.

The tabs in Photos at the bottom have been given an overhaul. In fact, they are completely gone. There’s one single, seemingly endless scrolling experience. There’s just one screen now where everything happens on the iPhone Photos app. You need to swipe down to get a peek in your library where all your photos reside chronologically. But what about curated collections like "For You" memories or "People & Pets"? Not to fret as swiping up will show you a carousel showcasing these automatically generated groupings.

It’s surely going to be a divisive redesign. As I said, it takes time getting used to but now that I have used it for over a month, I frankly don’t care much about the old layout. It’s Apple’s way of saying “you want customisation? Well, here you go.”

WhatApp may reign supreme in India but iMessage on iPhone has quite a few quirks which make it appealing. Messaging in iOS 18 gets a major Tapback upgrade. No more of those limited, colourless reactions – now any emoji can be your digital thumbs-up or thumbs-down, or crying with laughter.

iOS 18 also brings a much-needed feature – the ability to schedule messages to send later. You can compose the message, then choose a date and time within the next two weeks for a scheduled delivery.

Apple has finally accepted Google’s message request and brought RCS support. This update promises to turn those derided green bubbles from Android users into feature-rich experiences with typing indicators, high-resolution media, and even Tapbacks. However,RCS is still in its early stages, and is expected to be fully ready by the time iOS 18 stable build rolls out.

iOS 18: What about AI?

The proverbial elephant in the iPhone and — the undercurrent of iOS 18 — is the introduction of Apple Intelligence. Apple wouldn’t have gone with simple AI, would it? Apple Intelligence is the iPhone’s foray into the world of AI, meant to personalise your experience and streamline your workflows. Unfortunately, Apple is keeping it under the wraps. None of the beta builds have any hint of Apple Intelligence features. So we will have to wait for the iOS 18 official roll out. But for someone who did experience them at WWDC 2024, I can safely tell you that some of them will certainly make using the iPhone a lot more fun. Plus, they are high on utility as well.

iOS 18: What we think

Customisation is the big theme of iOS 18 and Apple has given more than a nod towards those Android enthusiasts who have claimed iPhone lacked that. There is a lot to like about iOS 18 and it does transform your iPhone into a new one — both in terms of looks and features. Also, a special mention must be given to how there seem to be very few bugs on the beta builds of iOS 18. I have been using it for month and barring a hiccup here and there, it runs absolutely smoothly.

You would be forgiven to think that Tim Cook would walk out ala Maximus from The Gladiator and say “Are you entertained”? Given the number of customisations Apple has given. Apple has taken time — like it often does — to roll out something which other have had for a while. But it has done it in true Apple style and it won’t be wrong to say that this is the biggest upgrade iOS has got in terms of design in more than a decade. Wait till September and you are in for a nice treat as far as iPhone features are concerned.