With the iOS 18.1 public beta giving anyone with a compatible phone the chance to test out Apple Intelligence features representing Apple’s initial push into artificial intelligence, the official release window is top of mind. Thanks to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, we have a better idea of when anticipated features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and more will roll out.
You can expect the first look at Apple Intelligence, other than beta testers, to come with the official launch of iOS 18.1 sometime in mid-October.
| Available now (in beta) | iOS 18.2 | iOS 18.3 | iOS 18.4 |
| Cleaning, notification and app summaries, suggested replies, proofreading and rewriting tools, phone call recording and transcribing, new focus mode, and creation of memory movies based on description | Genmoji, the photo playground | Minor updates | Siri Assistant has been overhauled with better contextual and personalized responses |
“We should be looking to upgrade the software by mid-October,” Gorman said in his letter. PowerOn Newsletter.
Don’t get too excited, he added, as many of the notable features won’t arrive until iOS 18.2 or later, echoing a previous report about Apple Intelligence’s rollout timeline. iOS 18.2 should add ChatGPT integration and introduce Genmoji, which uses AI to create emojis based on entered text or someone from your photo library, as well as Image Playground, Apple’s answer to Google’s Pixel Studio that lets you use AI Artificial to create images of yourself and others.
Apple is currently working to downgrade iOS 18.2 “to a bugless state in early November,” Gorman said. If the date stands, that means the release window should be sometime in December. Another update could also be coming before the holidays with iOS 18.3, but it’s expected to actually be a minor update, and it’s not clear if any other Apple Intelligence features will be added with it, according to a recent report. MacRumors report.
He added that as for the overhaul Apple is planning for its virtual assistant Siri, which promises to give users better contextual and personalized responses, don’t expect that to be available until March with iOS 18.4.
Apple Intelligence features expected with iOS 18.1
You can already test out Apple’s new suite of AI features in the iOS 18.1 public beta, so we have an idea of what to expect when the full release comes. Most noteworthy is Clean Up, an AI-powered photo editing tool called Clean Up, which is essentially Apple’s version of Google’s Magic Eraser. It allows you to easily enhance your photos and remove distracting objects or photo bombers, with just a few clicks directly in the photo gallery.
And while the promised overhauled Siri is still a ways off, Apple has updated its virtual assistant to better understand follow-up requests and when users trip over their tongues. Other new AI-powered features include notification summaries and suggested replies for messages, mail, and other apps; Writing tools that can proofread drafts or rewrite them for specific audiences; Article summaries when using Safari reader mode; Artificial intelligence generated phone call recordings and transcripts; Option to write a description to create a Memories movie in the Photos app; A new focus mode automatically prioritizes only the most important or urgent notifications.
Of course, you’ll need one of the top iPhones like the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any of the latest iPhone 16 series to enjoy Apple Intelligence once it starts rolling out.
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