Apple Intelligence may arrive later this month with iOS 18.1 release

Apple may have planned to release its AI capabilities, called Apple Intelligence, later this month with the rollout of iOS 18.1. A new report has claimed the iOS 18.1 rollout may take place on October 28, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to supported iPhone models, which include the iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has highlighted in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that Apple Intelligence features are nearly ready and could be released to the public at the end of this month. The AI features have already been available in the beta versions of iOS 18.1, offering features, such as upgraded Siri that can understand words better and hold conversations like humans alongside a design that includes rainbow-coloured glowing edge animation; AI-powered writing and summarisation tools.

In addition to important features, iOS 18.1 will bring also minor yet nifty tools. For instance, the latest iOS 18.1 beta 5 introduced a dedicated toggle for Wi-Fi and VPN (Virtual Private Network) connectivity in the Control Centre, so users can switch wireless connections instantly without having to dive into the combined connectivity module. The next beta version, beta 6, will likely bring a dedicated toggle for satellite connectivity, which is currently available inside the connectivity module. The beta 6 was originally scheduled to be available last week, but Apple reportedly ran into issues and delayed the release. A recent report has now claimed that Apple may release the beta this week before making the release candidate live for testers.

Apple Intelligence will also come to other Apple devices, including iPads and Macs with Apple Silicon chips. That means if a user does not have an eligible iPhone model, they can access AI features on a supported Mac or iPad. Apple has limited Apple Intelligence support for models with at least 8GB of RAM. That immediately rules out the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus from last year but includes the Pro models. This year’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineups already designed keeping Apple Intelligence in mind. In fact, reports are also rife that the next affordable iPhone, dubbed iPhone SE 4, will natively support Apple Intelligence.