This week, the first beta of iOS 18.1 will be released, reportedly including Apple Intelligence. iPhoned explains why this is good and bad news at the same time.
iOS 18.1 beta 1 with Apple Intelligence
iOS 18 isn’t even out yet, but according to Bloomberg Apple is already releasing the first beta of iOS 18.1 this week. And that’s for a good reason, because it will probably be the first version of iOS 18 with Apple Intelligence support.
Apple Intelligence is a collective name for all kinds of AI functions that the iPhone, iPad and Mac will get. Apple’s AI can, among other things, edit texts, create images or summarize entire websites for you. Until now, Apple Intelligence has been conspicuous by its absence in all betas, but that will soon change with iOS 18.1 beta 1. That is good news, because at iPhoned we can’t wait to finally get started with the features. At the same time, it’s also bad news, because it means that Apple Intelligence won’t be in the first final version of iOS 18 in September. But when will it come?
iOS 18 Timetable
Work on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 is expected to be completed in August. After that, Apple wants to focus entirely on Apple Intelligence. It seems unclear how Apple will approach macOS 15, aka Sequoia. The update could be released as version 15.0 in September or October. In that case, there will be no delay in AI features on the Mac.
The full functionality of Apple Intelligence isn’t expected right away, though. The rollout is expected to take until the first half of 2025. Initially, Apple Intelligence will include prioritization of important notifications, summaries of web pages and voice memos, writing tools, and ChatGPT integration. There’s also a redesigned Siri coming, though that’s not expected until next year.
Boost iPhone 16 Sales
Apple hopes Apple Intelligence will give iPhone 16 sales a big boost. All four new devices will be compatible out of the box, with only the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max for the iPhone 15. All iPad devices with M processors will be compatible with the software, as will the Mac.
Apple initially does not want to make its AI system available in Europe for fear of problems with EU competition rules. However, it is still questionable whether this will remain a threat or whether it will actually happen.
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