Apple’s highly anticipated new AI feature, ‘Apple Intelligence,’ will not be making its debut when originally planned. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the feature will see a delayed launch, appearing in iOS 18.1 instead of the initial iOS 18 release. Initially unveiled at this year’s WWDC in June, ‘Apple Intelligence’ was poised to be a central component of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 Sequoia. Apple had intended for iPhone developers to begin testing aspects of this comprehensive AI feature within a future iOS 18 beta this summer. However, Apple has now shifted this timeline, pushing the release to iOS 18.1. Consequently, the public may not see the first components of ‘Apple Intelligence’ until October or later.
This news signifies that the initial version of iOS 18, set to be released in September alongside the new iPhone 16 handsets, will not include ‘Apple Intelligence.’ Instead, the feature will be introduced weeks later in iOS 18.1. Gurman attributed the delay to Apple’s slightly slower-than-anticipated progress on the ‘Intelligence’ tools. However, developers will soon get their initial glimpse of ‘Apple Intelligence’ as the first beta versions of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 are scheduled for release next week. This unusual release schedule means two beta versions of iOS 18.x will be circulating simultaneously: the latest beta of iOS 18.0 and the first beta of iOS 18.1.
The anticipated iPhone 16 lineup, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, will almost certainly launch with iOS 18, not iOS 18.1. Once available, ‘Apple Intelligence’ is expected to be functional on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series. This AI suite encompasses tools for writing, focus, communication, and imagery. It also incorporates a more intelligent Siri, Apple’s voice assistant. It is worth noting that some aspects of ‘Apple Intelligence’ were not initially planned for inclusion in the first version of iOS 18.0, and some were even slated for a later reveal, potentially in early 2025.
Software delays are a common occurrence for tech giants like Apple. However, in this case, it will be intriguing to observe how the postponement of ‘Apple Intelligence’ affects early sales of the iPhone 16 Pro. Previously, it was suggested that Apple held high expectations for the new iPhone 16 series, anticipating it to boost iPhone sales that had slowed earlier in the year.
