Report: Apple Intelligence Delayed to iOS 18.1 in October

[klasma]

And why do you think that is?

One reason is how promotions work in big tech. You get promoted for getting a new project on the way, but not for incrementally improving, maintaining and consolidating existing software. This results in software remaining half-baked, and in increased complexity and inconsistencies. In the end, it’s a leadership problem.

 

[xmarcuswildx]

Apple is usually not the 1st with features but they usually in the end make those features high quality under there standards

Oh yeah like the theming of icons? This garbage ass tinting? Took 12 years to have the ability to move icons?

Where’s the innovation at anymore?

 

[rgwebb]

Apple Intelligence isn't vaporware - because I believe all the features will be delivered one day - but it practically might as well be. Apple got caught pants down on large language models gaining market traction as soon as they did and just was not ready to offer a product on the timescale investors expected. So they had to announce something in 2024 that was probably a 2025 or 2026 type of product.

That's why most of the phones purchased in the last half decade can't even use it and only the top of the line phone from last year can. They weren't planning on this coming out in 2024 and it practically will not but they satisfied their board and made The Street happy.

 

[one more]

They ususlly do eight (8) betas not four and I do not think that ios18 is done being develop. This would be an odd schedule.

I guess they will only allow iOS 18.1 on the AI supporting devices.

 

[hieranonymous]

I think this bolsters speculation that, while Apple has definitely had generative AI in its R&D sights for some time, it was caught a bit unawares by how quickly it’s become the next so-called killer app. Their internal timeline for deployment was probably closer to late 2025 than late 2024.

 

[Realityck]

Ok, so basically iOS 18.1 betas will equal 18.0 betas + AI bits. Surely then, everyone whose device will support AI will be going for iOS 18.1 betas, dropping away from iOS 18.0. A strange beta cycle indeed.

Your first comment sounds accurate. For devs it's like a bundled software DTK, as they going to need lots of time to tool for this.

 

[applepotato666]

Apple Intelligence will still be made available to software developers for the first time as soon as next week with the first betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which would be extremely unusual as the company does not normally release previews of follow-up software updates until the first version has been released.

I doubt they will release a beta of Apple Intelligence before iOS 18.0 drops for everyone and beta testers get the 18.1 betas. 18.0 doesn’t feel exactly finished right now and ending development for it as early as next week sounds unrealistic 🤔

The page for Apple Intelligence has also been saying "coming in beta this fall" from the day of WWDC so I don't understand why we're ignoring that.

 

[rjjacobson]

I guess they will limit iOS 18.1 to devices that will actually be able to support the AI - so currently only iPhone 15 Pros and M1 iPads and newer. All the other devices will stay on iOS 18.0 beta stream.

I will be curious to see what they do. I am only testing iPadOS 18 Myself on my M4 iPad Pro could get interesting.

 

[dcingie]

To be fair, they didn’t know they were launching ios18 this year.

 

[swiftapplefan]

Great! Guess when it finally launches it will also be available in the EU on day one by then.

 

[Realityck]

To be fair, they didn’t know they were launching ios18 this year.

Well it's likely that 18.1 and 18.2 would also be this year.

That 18.4 estimate for Siri 2 would be January to March timeframe if looking at iOS release history on wiki. iOS 17, iOS 16.

 

[spazzcat]

On one hand, this if course sucks. On the other hand, it does mean Apple will be lagging behind and this will cost them sales. Too bad for them, but that might also mean they will feel the need to compete a bit more - which is a good thing for consumers.

No one is buying a phone becuase of AI, AI is cool and can be useful, but its not going to be a major factor for most.

 

[spazzcat]

Great! Guess when it finally launches it will also be available in the EU on day one by then.

My guess is EU will not get any AI features in iOS.

 

[zorinlynx]

I wonder if they're having trouble getting this to run without harming performance. LLMs are very CPU and memory intensive and nobody wants a hot brick with a soon dead battery in their pocket.

Frankly I hope the "AI" fad passes soon so we can move on to actual innovation instead of a brainless regurgitation machine.

 

[smulji]

This is an iPhone 17 feature for all practical purposes.

Should've been announced during WWDC 2025 then.

 

[spazzcat]

I honestly had wondered if Gurman had died or something. He’s been MIA for weeks. No more newsletters.

Maybe he ran out of ideas for made up rumors?

 

[MrGimper]

It'll come a month before iOS 19 is announced next year.

Apple, the "Coming in a future update" company.

 

[McKodiak]

When it comes to these types of things, it’s better to be late than be wrong.

 

[Realityck]

My guess is EU will not get any AI features in iOS.

It's reasonable to suspect several reasons for that. As a technical example how about AI doing realtime translation of multiple languages simultaneously. Imagine trying to get to this to work for all regions for many languages initially. There is also tech companies developing or agreeing to rules for AI development/application with various governments going on.

 

[mxrider88]

iOS 18 ready for the end of July, which means this week? Get ready for a bug fest.

 

[MilaM]

And then, big surprise, AI in 18.1 will onyl work on iPhone 16.

 

[one more]

No one is buying a phone becuase of AI, AI is cool and can be useful, but its not going to be a major factor for most.

True, but when the customers start hearing “AI” from every corner and learn that it is not yet available for iPhone, this might still sabotage iPhone 16 sales cycle.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Maybe they are upgrading it to Apple Intelligence Pro? Should work better with the iThink Pro neural implant they are working on.

 

[Delgibbons]

Apple Intelligence will miss its initial expected launch date to give Apple more time to fix bugs, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

According to individuals with knowledge about Apple's plans, the company now plans to start rolling out Apple Intelligence in software updates by October, arriving several weeks after the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This means that Apple Intelligence will now effectively be split out of the initial launch of the new software updates. The reason for the delay is said to be concern about the stability of Apple Intelligence features and need for developers to have sufficient testing time.

Apple Intelligence will still be made available to software developers for the first time as soon as next week with the first betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, which would be extremely unusual as the company does not normally release previews of follow-up software updates until the first version has been released.

Gurman notes that the new release strategy for Apple Intelligence means that the iPhone 16 lineup will likely launch without Apple Intelligence features and require a software update to obtain them at a later date. The company is now said to be aiming to have development of iOS 18.0 completed by the end of July.

Even when Apple Intelligence arrives with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, it will be missing aspects such as the overhauled version of Siri that uses on-device data to answer questions and understands what is on a user's screen. These features are expected to arrive in the first half of 2025.

Article Link: Report: Apple Intelligence Delayed to iOS 18.1 in October

BAD Intelligence.

 

[one more]

And then, big surprise, AI in 18.1 will onyl work on iPhone 16.

Should also work on 15 Pro.