Apple unveiled its latest and greatest iPhone operating system, iOS 18, this week, and travelers may want to consider updating before their next trip abroad.
The new version of iOS includes a handful of new travel-specific features, including a built-in currency converter, satellite texting, new-and-improved maps, and an easy way to learn more about what you're seeing when exploring a new place. All of these features will be part of the new iOS 18 update, which you can get with your existing iPhone so long as its an iPhone X or newer. But a few will require the brand-new iPhone 16 or 16 Pro models to take advantage of them.
Here's a quick breakdown of the a few of the new features coming to the iPhone that travelers should get excited about.
Currency Conversion in the Calculator App
This one is fun and flew largely under the radar in Apple's press releases leading up to the launch of iOS 18.
The calculator app that comes with the iPhone now includes the ability to convert world currencies. To access the feature, simply open the calculator on your iPhone and click the icon that looks like a calculator at the bottom left.
There will then be a small pop-up, and you’ll want to toggle on the “Convert” option. Once you've turned that on, the calculator now lets you convert virtually all currencies from around the world.
Apple is using Yahoo Finance to power the currency rates, so they should be relatively real-time. You'll even be able to use the feature in airplane mode.
It's also worth noting that in addition to currencies, you'll also be able to convert other units of measurement like kilometers, liters, and much more.
Any iPhone device (iPhone X and newer) running iOS 18 will have access to this new feature.
Send Text Messages Via Satellite
With iOS 18, Apple has quietly released a game-changing feature for sending text messages. As long as you have an iPhone 14 or newer (all models), you can send both iMessage and SMS text messages via satellite when you have no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
Apple says to connect to a satellite, you need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon.
The new feature will only be available in the U.S. and Canada, and it is free for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14 or later model. It's unclear if Apple plans to charge for this functionality in the future, but that seems likely given the call out for getting two years for free.
Learn more about this new feature, including how to set up your device to send satellite text messages, on Apple's website.
Scheduled Sending of Text Messages
Another helpful new feature in iOS 18 is the “Send Later” function for text messages. It does exactly what the name implies: It lets you schedule a text message to send later.
So whether you remember an upcoming birthday and want to send a message before you forget, or you're on the other side of the world and want to send a message to be delivered at a more appropriate time for your friend or family member's time zone, this new feature has you covered.
To set this up, all you need to do is open the messages app, click the + button in the bottom left hand corner, and select “Send Later.”
From here, you can select the exact date and time you want your message to be sent, and it should be delivered in the recipient's local time zone.
Any iPhone device (iPhone X and newer) running iOS 18 will have access to this new feature.
A Big Upgrade to Apple Maps
In the world of mobile navigation, Apple Maps has played second fiddle to Google Maps. However, a new feature available in iOS 18 for the Apple Maps app might help change that.
Users running Apple Maps in iOS 18 will now have access to browse thousands of hikes in U.S. national parks. You'll have the ability to filter hikes by route type, length, and elevation. The routes will feature turn by turn navigation to ensure users stay on track. Have an Apple Watch running iOS 11? You'll also be able to access the navigation on your watch.
Users can also download these new hiking routes for offline use and save them to their Apple Watch. According to Apple, the latest update will also display shuttle schedules for select national parks, including Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and Sequoia National Park in California, with more to be added later.
This new feature will be available on any iPhone device (iPhone X and newer) running Apple Maps on iOS 18.
Read our guide to visting the U.S. national parks!
Visual Search Functionality
With iOS 18, Apple has rolled out a new feature specific to the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models dubbed “Visual Intelligence.”
The new feature, powered by artificial intelligence, allows you to point the phone's camera at any object and “instantly learn about everything you see,” said Apple's Craig Federighi during the company's event earlier this month to unveil the new phones.
Federighi said the feature is “enabled by Camera Control,” which is Apple's name for a new button on the side of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models. Users can simply click and hold the button and then point the phone's camera at whatever they want to learn more about.
Apple demoed the feature at their event earlier this month by pointing the phone at a dog. The phone instantly identified the breed and displayed detailed information about it. While I'm not certain whether that's the most helpful application, this new feature could be a game changer for travelers exploring a new city and wanting detailed information about important landmarks, restaurants and other spots they want to learn more about.
The new visual intelligence feature will only be available on new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models running iOS 18.
Big Camera Upgrades
Gone are the days of lugging a big and expensive camera around to take high-quality photos during your travels. Like almost every new iPhone model, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models will significantly upgrade the onboard cameras and the software that controls them.
The phones include an improved ultra-wide camera with better low-light photography capabilities and a 2x optical quality zoom made possible by the phone's 48-megapixel camera. If you opt for one of the iPhone 16 Pro models, you'll get a second 48MP ultra-wide camera with a more advanced quad-pixel sensor for incredibly high-resolution photos.
Apple is also introducing new photographic styles to the camera app that can be applied to the photos you take. While these have been around since the launch of the iPhone 13 in 2021, the company says this update will better identify skin undertones, colors, highlights, and shadows – ultimately resulting in better-quality photos.
Bottom Line
Apple just rolled out the latest version of its iPhone operating system, iOS 18, that includes a handful of helpful new features for travelers.
The new iOS 18 is already available for download for any iPhone X or newer model, while the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models will be available in stores starting Sept. 20.