Apple has announced a delay in the rollout of its highly anticipated Artificial Intelligence (AI) features until October, despite the initial plan to launch them alongside iOS 18. This decision comes as the tech giant seeks more time to address potential software bugs and improve stability, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple first introduced its new suite of AI-backed features and tools during its annual conference in June. These features are expected to be deeply integrated into the upcoming releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. The company partnered with OpenAI to usher in a new era for generative artificial intelligence, following the groundbreaking arrival of ChatGPT in 2022.
Craig Federighi, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, highlighted the transformative potential of these new features. "It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that's most helpful and relevant for you, and it protects your privacy at every step," he said.
Key AI Features
The Apple Intelligence suite will include several innovative functionalities designed to enhance user experience:
- Improved Siri: Enhanced with AI capabilities, Siri will appear as a pulsating light on the edge of the home screen and offer more intuitive responses.
- Email Summarisation: Tools to summarise emails and other documents.
- Writing Tools: Features for rewriting, proofreading, and summarising text.
- Apple Image Playground: A creative space for image manipulation.
- Genmoji: Customisable emojis based on user descriptions.
- Priority Notifications: AI-driven notification management.
- AI-Generated Photo Memory Movies: Automatically created memory videos from photos.
- Search in Videos: Enhanced search capabilities within video content.
- AI-Powered Photo Editing: Advanced editing tools for photos.
- Image Wand in the Notes App: Enhanced image annotation in Notes.
These features are set to be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac models with the M1 chip or later versions.
EU Regulatory Hurdles
While the global launch date for Apple Intelligence is set for October, the rollout in Europe faces additional delays due to compliance issues with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation aims to ensure fair competition in the digital market and imposes strict requirements on large tech companies.
"We are concerned that the integrity of our products could be harmed by the DMA. This could lead to users' privacy and data being compromised," Apple stated in response to the regulatory challenges. The company has expressed its commitment to collaborating with the European Commission to find a solution that ensures both compliance and user safety.
iOS 18 Beta Now Available
Today, Apple released the developer betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, providing a preview of some Apple Intelligence features to a broader group of testers. This early release is intended for developers to test the new functionalities and provide feedback.
To install the iOS and iPadOS 18 public beta, users must enrol in the public beta program. Existing users of the iOS 18 public beta can download the latest update by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update and ensuring 'iOS 18 Public Beta' is selected under the 'Beta Updates' menu. The beta is compatible with iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and newer iPad or Mac models with the M1 chip.
Users should be aware that beta software can be unstable, so it is recommended to back up devices before installation.
New Features in the Beta
The iOS 18.1 developer beta includes several new AI features:
- Writing Tools: For proofreading, rewriting, and summarising text.
- Photo Memories: Creating memories in the redesigned Photos app.
- Live Call Transcription: Transcribing live calls using the Phone app or audio in Notes, with AI-generated summaries.
- Redesigned Siri: Including new glowing borders and improved understanding of user requests.
Other features expected in the full release but not yet available in the beta include Genmoji, Apple Image Playground, and ChatGPT integration.
Additional Updates
Aside from AI features, the beta introduces various tools:
- New Wallpapers for CarPlay: Enhancing the in-car user experience.
- Dark Mode Widgets: Use dark mode widgets even when light mode is enabled.
- Redesigned Hidden Apps Folder: A new look for the App Library's Hidden folder.
- Controls Menu in Camera Settings: Added for better user control.
- RCS in Messages: Now available on more carriers.
While there is no official date for the iOS 18 release, it is expected that Apple will follow its traditional release pattern, likely launching in September. If further delays are necessary, October remains a possible timeframe, aligning with the reported postponement of Apple Intelligence features.
