Apple plans to release iOS 18.1 on October 28, bringing the first long-awaited Apple Intelligence features, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg. Originally expected earlier in October, this update was a bit delayed as Apple took the necessary time to ensure a smooth experience and prepare its cloud servers for the influx of users. There were also some bugs to correct according to our colleague.
A precise date for iOS 18.1
American iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 users will be the first to discover these new features. Initial features include tools for rewriting, summarizing and correcting text, a new interface for Siri, and notification summaries for apps like Messages and Mail. In addition, the Photos application will benefit from a new “Clean Up” tool, based on generative AI, capable of removing unwanted elements from images. We also tested the magic eraser in the iOS 18.1 beta.
However, the more advanced features of Apple Intelligence will be rolled out gradually in subsequent updates. iOS 18.2, expected in December, will introduce support for ChatGPT, the “Image Playground” tool for creating custom images, and “Genmoji” for creating custom emojis. The new Siri 2.0, promising more precise application control and personalized responses, is planned for early 2025.
In summary, here are the main steps in deploying Apple Intelligence:
- October 28 : iOS 18.1 with features like Writing Tools, a new Siri interface, and smart tools for Photos.
- December : iOS 18.2 will bring features like ChatGPT and Genmoji.
- Early 2025 : iOS 18.3 or iOS 18.4 version will include the new version of Siri.
So while the first features are rolling out, some of the more advanced ones will arrive in the coming months, before the full capabilities of Apple Intelligence are fully available. And again, we are only talking about Americans and English-speaking countries here. The company announced during the iPhone 16 keynote that French would be supported in 2025, but without specifying whether France would be affected. With the strong constraints imposed by the European Union in terms of AI, this is not a sure thing. Apple didn’t even sign the AI Act last month.
