Apple's biggest software update in the modern era might need a little longer.
That's according to an Apple spokesperson, who has confirmed the delay.
Users of modern iPhones are in an exciting time. After the brand announced Apple Intelligence – its take on the AI-powered features which are sweeping across the modern tech industry – fans have been eagerly anticipating the release of different features.
While a few have snuck out in subsequent updates, the big one is the revamped Siri. That's something which is long overdue, with users anticipating a more useful version of the voice assistant on Apple devices.
Sadly, it looks like users may need to wait a little longer for that one. The revelation came in an interview with John Gruber at Daring Fireball. Gruber spoke with an Apple spokesperson called Jacqueline Roy, who confirmed that the feature wouldn't make the upcoming software update – iOS 18.4.
Roy said, "It's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”
That's a shame for users, who will have been waiting for the new functionality since WWDC 2024. While there's no confirmed launch date for the feature, Gruber goes on to suggest that it could launch as part of iOS 19, which we'd anticipate being released at this Summer's WWDC event.
There's nothing to guarantee that, but it certainly seems reasonable. That's likely to only be about three months out, and it seems unlikely that the brand would make such a significant announcement so soon before the new operating system launches.
Still, it's not all bad news. Reports suggest that the iOS 18.4 update – which is expected to arrive in the next few weeks – will bring new languages for Apple Intelligence, as well as some new widgets and the ability to change default apps.
It still sounds like a solid update for users, who will undoubtedly appreciate the the added functionality regardless of the missing main event.
