Apple brings free call recording and transcription to iPhones; journalists rejoice

Apple has introduced several new features to iPhones in their recent announcement. Some of these features include:

1. Apple Intelligence: A personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver useful and relevant information4. It is integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, and uses Apple silicon to understand and process data4.

2. iOS 18: The new operating system for iPhone, featuring customization options for the Home Screen, a redesigned Photos app, and a redesigned Control Center5.

3. Call Recording and Transcription: iPhones now have the ability to record and transcribe calls directly from the Phone app.

4. iMessage Updates: Users can now react to texts with any emoji, schedule messages, format texts with bold, italicization, underlining, and strikethrough, and send messages with satellite connectivity.

5. New AI Features: Apple is integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into Siri, allowing for more advanced and personalized responses to user queries.

6. Privacy and Security: Apple is introducing new features designed with privacy and security at their core, including Lockdown Mode, app privacy improvements, and Private Browsing enhancements1.

7. Health App Updates: The Health app now supports cycle tracking for menstrual cycles and will display a user's pregnancy across all charts.

8. Apple Watch Updates: The Apple Watch is getting new tweaks, including a new Vitals app with enhanced features, advanced fitness training using body tracking, a real-time translation feature, and the ability to customize photos for the home screen.

9. AirPods Updates: AirPods users will be able to answer or decline a call with just a nod or shake of their head, and a new feature called Voice Isolation will allow background noise to be removed during calls.

These updates showcase Apple's commitment to enhancing user experience, privacy, and security while integrating advanced AI capabilities.

Apple's new iPhone features are expected to benefit a wide range of users, but some of the groups that may benefit the most include:

1. Busy Professionals: The new features in Apple's iOS 18 are designed to enable the billions of people who use Apple's devices to get more done in less time3. This includes productivity tools like the ability to rewrite emails in different styles, highlight and summarize priority notifications, and a proofreading tool for checking things like grammar and word choice.

2. Creative Users: Apple is introducing an image generator called Image Playground. This allows users to choose from themes, accessories, places, and more, and these environments get added to your playground. If you have something specific in mind, you can type in an idea to add it to your playground. There are three styles for image generation: sketch, illustration, and animation.

3. Siri Users: Siri is becoming more natural, relevant, and personal with the update. You'll be able to speak in more natural language, and Siri should be able to understand you even if you stumble all over your words. Since it understands context, you can ask follow-up questions, and Siri should know what you mean.

4. Photographers and Photo Enthusiasts: The Photos app is getting enhanced search functionality that lets you find specific images using natural language based on general descriptions, such as "Maya skateboarding in a tie-dye shirt." There's also a new Clean Up tool for removing objects in the background of a photo.

5. Journalists and those who need to record calls: Apple is bringing free call recording and transcription to iPhones, which could be particularly beneficial for journalists who need to record and transcribe interviews.

6. Users with Disabilities: Accessibility updates include Eye Tracking, a built-in option for navigating iPhone with just eyes; Music Haptics, a new way for users who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience music using the Taptic Engine.

Remember, the extent to which these features will be useful can vary depending on individual user needs and preferences.