When iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 launch this fall, do not expect Apple Intelligence to be part of the first releases of the operating system upgrades. The company’s cool new AI capabilities reportedly will arrive about a month later. Monday’s release of the first developer beta of iOS 18.1 — which includes some Apple Intelligence features — seems to confirm that release roadmap.
This means Apple Intelligence likely will arrive in October, around the same time as macOS Sequoia. So Mac users might get Apple AI along with their big upgrade.
Apple Intelligence release date: Maybe not as soon as you hoped
Apple Intelligence is the most significant collection of features added to iPhone and Mac in years. Safari, Mail and other Apple apps will use artificial intelligence to summarize large amounts of text. Plus, new AI-powered writing tools will appear in several apps. And users will be able to create their own emoji and images.
The features got a splashy reveal at WWDC24 in June. However, the wait for a release will be slightly longer than usual. They did not appear in either the public or developer betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. And the AI features won’t be part of the first versions of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 in September, according to information leaked to Bloomberg.
“The company is planning to begin rolling out Apple Intelligence to customers as part of software updates coming by October,” says the report published Sunday. That said, developers can start beta testing the new AI capabilities today in the first beta of iOS 18.1.
Apple says, “Apple Intelligence will be available in beta … as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia this fall,” without getting more specific.
And remember that some countries and devices are shut out completely. These AI features are not going to be introduced in the EU or China. And they only run on the two iPhone 15 Pro models and Macs and iPads with an M1 and later processor.
Hold on until 2025 for fully-AI Siri
Some of Apple’s new artificial intelligence capabilities will require even more patience from users anxious to try them out. “Some features, additional languages, and platforms will be coming over the course of the next year,” says Apple’s overview of its upcoming AI features. An earlier report from Bloomberg indicated the wait for the AI-enhanced version of Siri will stretch into 2025.
Don’t miss the Cult of Mac superguide on Apple Intelligence. It offers more info on the advanced AI features coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Mac.
