Say goodbye to digging through endless menus just to check if your iPhone is still covered. The new AppleCare section now shows clear status badges that tell you instantly if you’re “eligible” or “limited” – unlike the vague wording Apple used before.
Where you once needed five taps to reach support, you now get direct access buttons. This beats every previous iOS version’s approach to warranty info and makes Android’s buried support options look downright archaic.
9. Back Tap Banner Confirmation
Remember when you’d tap the back of your iPhone and wonder if it actually worked? Those days are over. Now your phone shows a clear banner alert at the top of your screen when Back Tap triggers, something Android’s knock features still don’t offer.
Before this update, you had to wait and see if your shortcut launched. Now you get instant visual feedback. This small but mighty change transforms a hit-or-miss feature into one you’ll actually use daily.
8. Pride Harmony Wallpaper
Most stock wallpapers are boring static images. Not this one. The new Pride wallpaper shifts colors when you unlock your device, unlike the static options that dominate both iPhone and Android galleries.
Before iOS 18.5, your wallpaper and Apple Watch face rarely matched. Now they work together with the Pride Harmony face. This connected experience leaves Samsung’s disconnected ecosystem in the dust when it comes to cross-device design.
7. Mail App That Finally Makes Sense
The old Mail app buried key settings deep in the Settings app. The new version puts these controls where they belong – right in the app itself. As design expert Don Norman says, “Usability is not a feature; it’s a necessity.”
Gmail still forces you into its settings menu for similar toggles. Apple now lets you switch contact photos on/off with a simple three-dot menu tap. After years of lagging behind third-party email apps, Apple’s Mail is finally catching up.
6. Screen Time Alerts for Parents
Before: Kids could change Screen Time settings and parents would never know. Now: Parents get an instant alert when a child enters their Screen Time passcode, a feature Google’s Family Link still lacks.
No need for complicated monitoring apps that cost monthly fees. This free update gives you better oversight than expensive third-party solutions. Research shows better parental awareness leads to healthier tech habits in kids.
5. Buy With iPhone on Any TV
Remember typing passwords letter-by-letter on your TV? That nightmare is over. Now when buying movies on non-Apple TVs, you can use your iPhone for quick Face ID payment instead of the clunky on-screen keyboard most smart TVs still force you to use.
This beats both Roku and Amazon Fire TV’s payment systems, which make you type everything or pre-store your card. The digital handshake between your devices makes purchases faster than any competitor’s solution.
4. Satellite Texting Beyond Emergencies
Unlike previous iOS versions that limited satellite to emergency SOS, iPhone 13 and newer can now use satellites for regular messages with the right carrier plan. Android phones like the Pixel still restrict satellite features to emergencies only.
You needed the latest iPhone 15 for decent satellite features before. Now iPhone 13 users get these capabilities too. For hikers and outdoor adventurers, this feature alone beats most Android options currently available.
3. Faster 5G for Airtel Users
Airtel customers in India now get true 5G Standalone tech with better call quality and faster speeds. Old 5G often dropped to 4G during calls, but this update keeps you on 5G even when talking.
Before this update, Indian iPhone users had worse 5G performance than many Android phones. Now the playing field is level. Games and video calls run smoother with less lag than they did on previous iOS versions.
2. Better Texting on Jio Networks
Regular texting used to mean tiny, compressed photos and no typing indicators. With RCS support for Jio users, you now get high-quality photos and see when someone’s typing, just like iMessage but working with Android phones too.
This fixes the green bubble problem Indian users faced when texting Android friends. Where messages once felt stuck in 2010, they now work more like WhatsApp and Telegram without needing a separate app.
1. Apple Intelligence Coming to China
While not in the current update, experts predict Apple’s AI features might reach China with iOS 18.6, likely with changes to meet local rules. Current Chinese iPhones lack AI features that US models enjoy, a limitation that could significantly impact how competitive they’ll be against the upcoming “5 Phones To Watch Out For This April” that Chinese manufacturers are preparing to release.
If implemented, this would close the gap between Chinese and international iPhone models. Chinese Android phones already offer local AI options, so this would help Apple catch up in one of its biggest markets.
