According to a report by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release iOS 18.1 to the public on October 28th. This update will include some of the first AI features under the name “Apple Intelligence,” which many users have been eagerly awaiting.
This release contradicts earlier predictions that pointed to mid-October. Gurman attributes the delay to two key factors: First, Apple is spending more time to fix any potential bugs, ensuring a smooth and flawless user experience. Second, Apple wants to make sure that its private cloud servers can handle the massive traffic generated by millions of users installing the update.
iOS 18.1 Features
With the release of iOS 18.1 on October 28th, iPhone 16 users will finally be able to experience some of the AI capabilities promised during the phone’s unveiling, just over a month after its release. However, some of the features introduced in iOS 18.1 might not be as groundbreaking as expected.
Once the update is installed, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 users will be able to try the following features:
- Advanced Writing Tools: AI-enhanced improvements for writing and text editing.
- New Siri Interface: A fresh, modern look for Siri, although the full experience will come later.
- Notification Summarization: Smart grouping and summarizing of notifications to reduce clutter and highlight important information.
- Memory Creation in Photos: AI-powered automatic photo memories in the Photos app.
- Clean Up in Photos: The ability to intelligently remove unwanted objects from photos.
- Intelligent Breakthrough in Notifications: Smart display of important notifications based on user activity and context.
Timeline for Apple Intelligence Features
However, some of the more exciting Apple Intelligence features are still on their way and will be rolled out gradually by spring of next year:
- October 28th: iOS 18.1 with the features listed above.
- December: iOS 18.2 with support for ChatGPT, Genmoji features, and Image Playground.
- Early 2025: iOS 18.3 or iOS 18.4 with an advanced version of Siri.
Although the rollout of Apple Intelligence is set to begin soon, it will take some time before all features are fully available. Hopefully, by the time the iPhone SE 4 is released, the full suite of Apple Intelligence capabilities will be in place.