Early this morning, Apple officially released the iOS 18.4 update, bringing numerous new features and performance improvements for a richer user experience.
The most notable new feature is 5G-A (5.5G) network support. According to Apple, 5G-A theoretically offers peak speeds up to 10 times faster than traditional 5G, providing significantly improved connection speeds. Beta testers reported speeds reaching 1400 Mbps with 5G-A enabled, far exceeding traditional 5G speeds. However, this feature is currently only supported on iPhone 13 and later models.
Furthermore, iOS 18.4 introduces Apple's intelligent features and adds support for a large number of languages. However, for users in mainland China, Chinese language support is pending regulatory approval and is currently unavailable. Some users in mainland China also reported that the entire update description was in English, possibly an oversight or bug.
Beyond these features, iOS 18.4 also includes changes to Photos and Control Center. The Photos app now features a library view filter, allowing users to show or hide items not included in albums or synced from Mac/PC. Users can also reorder items in media types and utility collections. All collections now use unified filtering options, including sorting by date (ascending/descending), and a new option to sort albums by modification date. Additionally, users can disable the "Recently Viewed" and "Recently Shared" collections in Photos settings, and hiding photos will no longer import to Mac/PC when Face ID for Photos is enabled.
In Control Center, iOS 18.4 adds quick access to ambient sounds for easy music switching. Apple Fitness+ curated content can also be added to the library for a more convenient workout experience.
Finally, iOS 18.4 includes various other performance improvements and bug fixes. For example, Safari now offers recent search suggestions for quicker access to previous searches; the parental controls assistant simplifies child account creation; screen time app restrictions remain in effect even after children uninstall and reinstall apps; the App Store user reviews now include a summary view; users can pause/resume app downloads and updates without losing progress; and Podcasts adds a follow feature and a library widget.
