iOS 19: Possible release window, Supported devices, Features

It’s an annual tradition- we see the announcement and feature showcase of the latest iOS versions around June every year.

We are about 5 months away from the announcement of iOS 19 at the time of writing. Apple will likely announce it in June 2025 with their global WWDC event.

1. Supported Devices

None of the iPhones lost support with the iOS 18 update. That is to say, all of the iPhones that got the iOS 17 update were also eligible for iOS 18.

As per a report from iPhoneSoft, all devices that support iOS 18 will also support iOS 19. Unfortunately, they might drop support for some iPad models.

If Apple indeed continues supporting all of the iPhones compatible with iOS 18, that would mark a full 7 years of software support for the 2018 iPhone models- the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. This is what the software support list might look like:

  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone XS and XS Max
  • iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE 2020
  • iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE 2022
  • iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max

This implies that the devices that lost support with the iOS 17 update- the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus- will obviously not get the latest version.

2. Features

Apple typically does an update filled with features first and then an “optimization” update next. If one update consists of plenty of new features, the next one will not. Instead, they’ll focus on minor UI tweaks, refinement of existing features, stability improvements, and bug fixes.

It’s high time for Apple to push out a bug-fix update. As per leaks, the original plan for iOS 18 was stability, but due to course reversal, we got a bunch of new features and UI changes with iOS 18.

We can tell that a lot of it is largely half-baked. Icon themes do not work well and end up masking the icon, and there are several experience-breaking bugs. Older models have severe performance trouble. Widgets are glitchy, the phones heat up more, and, worst of all, there are delays.

After all the advertisements for Apple Intelligence, we got only some of the features, and even after waiting several months, there was a waitlist. They were still half-baked, slow, cloud-server dependent, and overall not even close to the competition from Samsung and Google.

Several Apple Intelligence features that were advertised at WWDC 2024 have still not made it to iOS 18. What makes it worse for Apple is that all of their AI features are only for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the latest 16 series. In spite of offering compatibility to such a few devices, they failed to deliver the features on time.

After such grave errors, it would be wise if Apple takes the optimization and stability route with iOS 19. iOS 16 was a major feature drop with lock screen customization, but it was very buggy. iOS 17 was a refinement of iOS 16. We’re expecting iOS 19 to iron out some of the bugs with iOS 18.

Another major Siri update

Siri on iOS 18 already uses Chat GPT for some queries. They might expand this for iOS 19. They might finally give Siri access to third-party apps and better contextual understanding. This will bring it closer to competitors like Google’s Gemini.

Unfortunately, we might see further delays in 2025. As per leaks, Apple might announce its own LLM at WWDC 2025. However, it won’t ship till 2026. Much like Apple Intelligence, these new features and their own LLM will only debut much later.

A design change?

Despite some sources suggesting a complete design revamp, the possibility is not very likely. While there are glimpses of a new direction with Apple’s design, they do not change the iOS design language very often. The new dark mode icons and the tinted icons are probably here to stay for a while.

As per some leaks, Apple might make iOS 19 look like Vision OS. Rounded icons with shadows and depth in a 3D spatial environment. Even on a smartphone, it adds a distinct look. With skeuomorphism, we had real depth, and they quite literally mimicked real-life counterparts.

We are no longer using the new 2D flat icons. The new industry standard is somewhat 3D icons with shadow and depth. Apple already uses such icons on MacOS and now uses VisionOS. We haven’t seen it for iOS and iPadOS yet, but Apple will change the design language sooner or later. However, as early as iOS 19, it doesn’t seem very likely.

Leaks also mention design changes to first-party apps. As per FrontPageTech, Apple might change the UI of apps, such as the camera app.

ios 19 camera app
Credit: YouTube/ Front Page Tech

The renders and concepts show a camera app that loosely resembles visionOS, and it does not have very good initial reception. The zoom toggles are gone; there’s just one button in the middle, and none of it looks intuitive compared to the current camera app.

3. Possible Release Window

As usual, we expect an announcement in June. Developer Beta testing will begin around the same time, and Public Betas will follow a month later. The release is expected somewhere around the middle of September, around the time when the iPhone 17 series is announced.

Here’s a possible timeline:

  • June 2025: iOS 19 could be announced at WWDC 2025, with developer betas likely following shortly after.
  • July 2025: A public beta might be released.
  • September 2025: The official release of iOS 19 could happen.

Keep in mind that the timeline mentioned above is based on past trends. Apple could always change its release schedule.

Sudhanshu, a tech writer at DealNTech, is a tech enthusiast who loves to experiment with the latest gadgets and software, especially mobile devices and operating systems. He shares his findings on mobile technology in informative and engaging articles. Email: [email protected]

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