iOS 19: Seven leaked iPhone features that could make your day
iOS 19 is on the way, and it’s got some surprises. One of them might look pretty familiar!
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Updated May 23 with fresh leaks
Apple keeps its product development under wraps, and iOS leaks are hard to come by. The software teams are much smaller than the large supply chain that builds the iPhones, which makes leaks even rarer. While hardware innovation has slowed down a bit, the new iPhones still get solid camera improvements. But there’s an interesting rumor about iOS 19 that we haven’t heard in over a decade.
Leaker John Prosser recently posted a video showing what the new camera app might look like. The big change? Translucent menus for the camera controls. The design of these menus? It feels strangely familiar!
iOS 19 features
Apple kicked off iOS 19’s development in June 2024. Back then, it was too early to know what features would make the cut.
Fast forward to today, while iOS 18 brought plenty of upgrades, it’s Apple Intelligence that’s stealing the spotlight. So, what can we expect from the next version?
1. AI battery management
I’ve been an Android guy for years, but in 2024 I gave iOS a shot and grabbed the iPhone 15 Pro. It’s been awesome. The camera? Wildly good. The software? Super smooth. I’m enjoying the switch more than I expected. That said, I still can’t figure out how to keep the battery health in check.
Everyone keeps throwing advice at me. Lower the screen brightness, don’t let the battery dip below 20%, avoid charging past 80%. I’ve tried it all. Nothing seems to make a difference.
Managing battery life feels like a universal headache for iPhone users. But maybe that’s about to change. iOS 19 will introduce a smart battery feature that learns your usage patterns and automatically optimizes performance, Gurman says.
An Apple Intelligence feature, it taps into battery analytics from across Apple devices. The goal is to detect behavior trends and reduce power consumption by limiting apps or background processes when it makes sense. Sounds solid in theory. The twist? Rumors claim Apple could open up its local AI models to third-party developers. So the big question is—will they see my battery usage data?
Also worth noting, iPhones will soon display charging estimates right on the lock screen. Galaxy phones already show battery percentage and time to full charge, so Apple’s playing catch-up here.
2. LLM Siri
As a longtime Samsung user, I always relied on Google Assistant. Now that I’ve switched to Siri, let’s just say… it’s been a bit of a learning curve.
For starters, Siri often thinks I’m talking when I’m not, and more times than not, she just doesn’t get me. So, I guess everyone’s experience with voice recognition varies. But the most frustrating part is that Siri still struggles with hearing and understanding commands, correctly.
Sure, Siri can handle basic tasks like setting timers and answering straightforward questions, but when it comes to more complex responses, ChatGPT does a much better job with clearer and more conversational replies. The good news? Apple is developing a more conversational Siri to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other voice services.
The new Siri will use more advanced large language models (LLMs) to support smoother back-and-forth conversations.
“The next-generation LLM planned for iOS 19 will be a new, end-to-end system that provides more advanced, ChatGPT-like capabilities,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says.
Apple has been testing the new software on iPhones, iPads, and Macs as a separate app, but the plan is to replace the current Siri interface with it. They aim to roll out the update in 2025 as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16.
In the meantime, Apple added ChatGPT to Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.2 and made Gemini available on the App Store. The new Siri aims to bring these capabilities in-house while still focusing on user privacy. However, Apple might still allow third-party AI systems that offer specialized abilities or information.
3. Beyond ChatGPT
Apple handles most iPhone, iPad, and Mac intelligence features with its own models. However, it’s already brought ChatGPT into the mix. Meanwhile, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned he’s hoping to get Gemini onto iPhones.
Mr. Pichai and Tim Cook have had a few conversations during 2024. Pichai wants to lock in a deal by mid-year. If it happens, Apple will likely announce it alongside iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and the next macOS.
The biggest deal so far between Apple and Google is about Safari’s default search engine. Google’s been in that spot for years, and that agreement is now part of an antitrust trial in the US, where Pichai shared his thoughts.
Apple is also talking to Perplexity. The LLM-powered search engine could become a built-in option for Siri and a new search provider in Safari, giving users another direction beyond ChatGPT.
I enjoy trying out different chatbots. Each one handles information and questions a bit differently. From what I’ve seen, Perplexity gets straight to the point with more useful answers, while Gemini gives a broader perspective. Either way, it’s awesome to have more than one option.
4. iPhone users may soon drop Siri for a new voice assistant
New voice assistants on iPhones are about to make a big splash. To follow upcoming European Union rules, Apple is updating its operating systems so users can finally switch from Siri to third-party assistants, Gurman says.
My favorites are Gemini and ChatGPT. They do everything Siri does but faster, better, and they understand your voice more clearly. I never used Siri a lot, but I relied on it for calls, checking the weather, making notes, and sometimes replying to texts. Lately, it won’t make calls anymore. I ask it to call Edgar—something I’ve done for years—and nothing happens. Looks like I’ll be one of the first to switch from Siri to another assistant.
5. visionOS-style camera app
Popular leaker John Prosser got an early look at the iOS 19 camera app, and he says it feels a lot smoother overall. The settings stay tucked away until you start swiping through the viewfinder, making the camera’s view the main focus. But what really stands out? The new camera app design isn’t just a random update. It actually lines up with the design vibes from visionOS.
At the bottom, the layout keeps things pretty straightforward. You can switch between taking a photo or shooting a video. Tap the toggle, and you’ll unlock more options like adjusting depth for portrait shots or capturing panoramic pictures with spatial capture. You can also control photo styles, aspect ratios, exposure, and a timer. On the video side, you get similar depth and spatial settings, along with slow-mo, time-lapse, action mode, and exposure adjustments—pretty much all the essentials.
Up top, you can tweak settings like resolution and frame rate. And, of course, the usual features remain—the photo gallery shortcut on the bottom left and the front-facing camera toggle on the bottom right.
6. Other apps with visionOS touch
It seems like Apple is planning bigger changes across the board. It’s unlikely they’d make such a massive change to just one app without having something more in store. This might be a sign that a full iOS redesign is coming.
However, Apple might keep most of iOS the same—same layout, same control center, same general experience. Instead, they could bring visionOS-inspired elements to key apps like the camera, music, notes, and wallet.
Apple last made a major visual update to their mobile operating system with iOS 7, when they swapped out the skeuomorphic design for a cleaner, more minimal, 2-dimensional look.
7. AirPods live translation
Apple might soon give AirPods a feature that can translate real-time conversations. So if someone’s speaking Spanish, your iPhone jumps in, translates it, and sends the English version straight to your ears through your AirPods. And when you speak, your iPhone flips that back into Spanish so the other person understands you, too.
Other earbuds like Pixel Buds and Timekettle M3 already offer live translation. Both support 40 languages, and the M3’s even a bestseller on Amazon. Apple’s a bit late to the party here, but as someone who travels a lot, I’m hoping they raise the bar.
One thing to keep in mind—most translation earbuds don’t shift between languages in the middle of a conversation. You usually pick the languages before you start. That’s fine for trips, but in classrooms or group talks where people switch languages often, it might be a bit clunky. Unless Apple finds a way around that, you’ll still be doing a bit of tapping to switch presets. Curious to see how they handle it.
iOS 19-supported devices
Apple is working hard to make its devices more durable than ever. The company has shared a report showing how new manufacturing tech, software updates, and repair services are helping to extend the life of its products. In fact, devices from as far back as 2017 can still run Apple’s latest operating systems.
As for the upcoming iOS 19, it will be compatible with everything from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 17 series. However, some of the more advanced AI features will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. This is mainly to prevent overwhelming the servers.
iOS 19 release date
Apple will give us a sneak peek of iOS 19 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2025. After that, developers will get their hands on it for testing, and we’ll see a public beta rollout in the summer.
Then, come September 2025, iOS 19 will officially drop, alongside new iPhones.
For now, iOS 18 is the main release. It brought new customization options, smarter Siri upgrades, and tools powered by generative AI. Apple hasn’t slowed down since—version 18.5 landed on May 12 with more polish and performance tweaks.
Bottom line
iOS 19 is shaping up to be a big step forward, especially with a more conversational Siri and a sleek camera app redesign. With visionOS-inspired features making their way into key apps, it’s clear Apple’s aiming for a fresh, more intuitive experience. We’ll get the full scoop in 2025!
