Although the iOS 18 release cycle is moving slowly (thanks to Apple Intelligence), Apple is just a few months away from unveiling the next-generation iOS 19. As with previous iOS versions, leaks and rumors about iOS 19 have already started surfacing, speculating on the new features it will bring to iPhones and the models that will support it.
This post details everything you need to know about the upcoming iOS 19, from compatible devices to expected features to possible delays.
iOS 19: Expected features
Besides the usual slate of performance updates, we do not know much about iOS 19 currently. However, rumors are rife about significant upgrades to Apple Intelligence’s capabilities and a major overhaul of Siri.
A more evolved version of Siri
Bloomberg reported last year that we will see a “more conventional Siri” in iOS 19, powered by “more advanced large language models (LLMs).” The report further states that this new substantial upgrade will transform Siri to behave and interact “more like a human,” making it capable of “handling more sophisticated requests,” similar to how ChatGPT or Google Gemini works.
However, Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter, reported that Apple is behind in the development schedule of the more ChatGPT-like Siri. Because of this delay, Apple has scrapped its plan to unveil the evolved version of conversational Siri at WWDC 2025 in June this year. So, whether a more evolved version of Siri will arrive at iOS 19.4 in March next year or if Apple will push the Siri upgrade to iOS 20 remains unknown.
While rumors suggest that iOS 18-supported iPhones will be iOS 19 compatible, only a handful of them will get access to all the new features, similar to what happened in iOS 18 with Apple Intelligence features.
Redesigned Camera app
In a recent YouTube video posted on the Front Page Tech channel, John Pressor showcased how the completely overhauled Camera app design might look in iOS 19. As showcased, the controls and menu in the Camera app are more translucent, a striking similarity to what is already available in VisionOS, Apple’s proprietary software for the Vision Pro headset.
Furthermore, the camera’s viewfinder covers a much larger real estate screen by default as compared to iOS 18. As shown in the renders, the camera controls are organized into two categories: Photo and Video, located at the bottom of the app. While most camera controls are on the bottom side, additional controls for video resolution and frame rate still appear at the top, which makes more sense.
It’s uncertain whether the purported design changes resembling visionOS will even come to the Camera app, let alone other iOS 19 apps.
RCS 3.0 support
Though Apple was forced to do it, the Cupertino tech giant’s decision to incorporate RCS messaging with iOS 18 was welcomed by users worldwide. However, iOS 18 only supported version 2.4 of the RCS messaging protocol, so all the new features and improvements GSMA announced with RCS version 2.7 are still missing for iPhone users.
Moving on, Apple confirmed in a recent statement that the company is planning to support end-to-end encryption in RCS messaging with future software updates. This means the tech giant would be supporting RCS Universal Profile 3.0.
While there is no word on the exact timeline for supporting RCS version 3.0, Apple mentioned that it will happen with future software upgrades, so we believe it will happen somewhere in the iOS 19 lifecycle.
Redesigned Health app
In his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman says that the redesigned Health app is rumored to arrive with the iOS 19.4 update and is speculated to include an AI-driven health coach or doctor feature to provide users with tailored information and health tips.
Codenamed Project Mulberry, the AI-driven health coach, will act as your virtual medical assistant and analyze the data collected through health-tracking accessories such as Apple Watch and AirPods. If an anomaly is detected, it will provide educational content or suggest actions you can take.
Whether or not this service feature will be a part of Apple Health+ service remains to be seen.
Besides this, the revamped Health app will also have the much-awaited Food Tracking feature, making it a perfect packaged health tracking app.
iOS 19: Expected delays
Although iOS 19 is expected to come with substantial upgrades, it is unlikely that all the features will be available at the launch. It is also possible that we might see a delayed launch timeline compared to the usual one. This is because Apple is already lagging with the iOS 18 rollout. It still hasn’t released some of the most anticipated Apple Intelligence features and will most likely release them with iOS 18.4 in March 2025.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple engineers are still rumored to be working on iOS 18 when they should already be working on iOS 19 by this time. This delay in ongoing iOS 18 development and rollout means that we will have to wait until spring 2026 to get our hands on all the new features of iOS 19 as the work on them is believed to be delayed.
iOS 19: Design leaks
While we all need to wait until the iOS 19 keynote to view the design changes it will bring to iPhones, renowned leakster John Prosser, in his recent video, has shared the reported first look of iOS 19.
According to Prosser, the mockups shown in the video are not real but replica images. He says he has done this to protect the video’s source from getting into trouble.
Here’s what Prosser has to say about various iOS 19 elements:
- Lock Screen: While there’s no functional change, there’s a significant visual overhaul. In Prosser’s mockup, the Lock Screen resembles the current one, but some notifications now appear translucent, and the buttons have a more 3D, floating appearance.
- Settings and Popups: Menu elements, popups, and buttons adopt a more rounded aesthetic with a “glassy” styling.
- Apps: App menus and buttons maintain the same design, featuring rounded corners, a circular layout, and a floating style reminiscent of visionOS.
- Keyboard: The top of the keyboard has a more rounded design, and the entire keyboard adopts a visionOS-inspired “glassy” look. Prosser describes the keyboard as “almost looking like it’s floating.”
You can watch the full concept video below:
In his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman further substantiates this glass-like translucent redesign rumor. He says the iOS 19’s redesign is codenamed “Solarium” internally. As a Solarium is nothing but a room with glass walls to allow more sunlight, it directly hints at iOS 19 having a glass-like appearance with a translucent design, similar to what is found on Vision Pro.
Whether this leak will turn out to be true? We will need to wait until WWDC 2025.
iOS 19: Release date and timeline
Apple has officially announced that its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2025 will be held between June 9 to 13, 2025. The first day will cover the Keynote event for all the upcoming operating systems, such as iOS 19, watchOS 12, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16.
Beta testers will receive the first developer beta of iOS 19 as soon as the keynote concludes. Apple generally releases the first public beta one month after the first developer beta, so we expect the first iOS 19 public beta to be released in July 2025. As for the stable iOS 19 release, expect it to be released somewhere around September 2025 after the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup.
Wrapping up…
That’s about it for now. We will regularly update this post with new leaks and rumors about iOS 19 features.
Do you have an iOS 19 feature wishlist? We would love to hear about it in the comments below.
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