Top Stories: iOS 18.1 Coming Soon, October Apple Event Rumors, and More

[MacRumors]

It's hard to believe we're already into October with the iPhone 16 launch behind us, but there's lots more still to come from Apple this year on both the hardware and software fronts.

We're still expecting a number of Mac and perhaps some iPad updates in the very near future, while Apple Intelligence features are set to begin rolling out with iOS 18.1 and related operating system updates. The train never really stops rolling though, as we're also looking ahead to a new iPhone SE and other updates in early 2025, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

iOS 18.1 is still in beta, but it's coming to all users later this month and will bring a number of new features and improvements including the first Apple Intelligence capabilities for owners of the latest iPhone models. Other tweaks include fresh functionality for the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 lineup and a much-desired ability to reset a customized Control Center layout.

macOS Sequoia 15.1 is also on the way, and we've put together a similar overview of what you can expect to see in that update, likewise headlined by Apple Intelligence features.

What to Expect From an Apple Event in October: iPad Mini 7, Redesigned Mac Mini, and More

With Apple's annual iPhone and Apple Watch event now in the rear-view mirror, we're still awaiting some updates to the Mac lineup.

We're expecting some sort of event this month where we're likely to see several M4-based Macs including a redesigned Mac mini, as well as a new iPad mini and perhaps a few other things.

Apple Releases iOS 18.0.1 With Touch Screen Bug Fix and More

Ahead of the larger iOS 18.1 update coming later this month, Apple this week released an iOS 18.0.1 update with fixes for a number of bugs including touchscreen issues on the latest iPhone 16 models, camera freezes, and Messages app crashes.

Also of note, iPadOS 18.0.1 finally allows owners of M4 iPad Pro models to update to iOS 18 once again after Apple pulled the original release over two weeks ago due to device bricking issues.

AirPods 4 With ANC vs. AirPods Pro 2

Apple last month released the AirPods 4, and one version of the new earbuds has Active Noise Cancellation included. ANC means the ‌AirPods 4‌ have a feature set that rivals the AirPods Pro 2, so we thought we'd compare the two for those undecided on which to get.

You're not going to get the same level of ANC with the ‌AirPods 4‌ that you get with the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 because there's no sealing mechanism to block out noise, but the ‌AirPods 4‌ still perform impressively well.

iPhone SE With Apple Intelligence, New iPad Air, and More Reportedly Launching 'Early Next Year'

Looking beyond the new Macs coming later this year, early 2025 is expected to see the debut of several other new Apple products including a fourth-generation iPhone SE, updated iPad Air models, and more, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The next iPhone SE is expected to be a notable upgrade, moving from the legacy iPhone 8-style design with Touch ID Home button and large display bezels to an iPhone 14-like design with an OLED display and Face ID.

Apple May Launch First iPad-Like Smart Home Accessory Next Year

Following a report last week from 9to5Mac indicating that Apple's rumored iPad-like smart display for the home could feature a "squarish" display with a launch targeted for next spring, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has confirmed that this is a simpler device than the one equipped with a robotic arm which has also been rumored.

This simpler device arriving as soon as next spring would run a new "homeOS" platform capable of running Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and be "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information."

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Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Article Link: Top Stories: iOS 18.1 Coming Soon, October Apple Event Rumors, and More

 

[Darren.h]

Received my 2014 Prius today by Semi Trailer here in Joshua Tree CA from Glenview ILL

ALL SET FOR THOSE SKY HIGH GAS PRICES. due to the war.

cant wait to buy the M4 Mac mini to mount in my Prius Glove Box. Touch Screen.

 

[joejoe2000]

Why doesn’t Apple implement an option to require password / Face ID etc when shutting down the phone.

Wouldn’t that possibly deter some theft ?

Do any android phones offer this?

 

[wbeasley]

Why doesn’t Apple implement an option to require password / Face ID etc when shutting down the phone.

Wouldn’t that possibly deter some theft ?

Do any android phones offer this?

or enable video/photo feeds on stolen devices...

if you steal it you lose your right to privacy.

maybe enable it but only activate when being held?
would help to prosecutors as well...

 

[vegetassj4]

Apple May Launch First iPad-Like Smart Home Accessory Next Year

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced iPad Lite Home and iPad Home Lite Plus, built for Apple Intelligence, the easy-to-use home intelligence system that understands personal preferences to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy. The iPad Lite Home lineup also introduces Home Control, which brings new ways to be lazy, and will help users quickly access home intelligence to learn about objects or junk around them faster than ever before. The powerful system features an M1 processor with a special Neural option, giving users the home automation they crave, while a new robotic assistant called iRobot enables around the house help. Next-generation Apple Intelligence helps users customize their preferences, and spatial photo and video capture allows users to relive life’s precious memories with remarkable depth on Apple Vision Pro.

 

[F27]

Still waiting on the new Apple TV 4K, well overdue. The current one is ancient by Apple’s refresh cycles. Needs to support newer codecs and standards, upgrade the chip for maybe future AI integration and also possibly hit that sub $100 price point.

 

[dominiongamma]

Tired of seeing 18.1 is coming soon… lol feels like a snail with iOS 18 features releasing

 

[alexe]

18.0.1 does NOT fix the touchscreen issue on an iPhone XS over here.

After the update and restart, literally the first thing that happened is that the settings app freezes up while scrolling.

 

[rotvaldi]

iOS coming soon? Stop publishing false information… there is not even beta 6 lmao

 

[HVDynamo]

Still waiting on the new Apple TV 4K, well overdue. The current one is ancient by Apple’s refresh cycles. Needs to support newer codecs and standards, upgrade the chip for maybe future AI integration and also possibly hit that sub $100 price point.

Right now I really can't think of anything I want the AppleTV to do that the current one doesn't already (or that can't just be done in software)

 

[centauratlas]

Still waiting on the new Apple TV 4K, well overdue. The current one is ancient by Apple’s refresh cycles. Needs to support newer codecs and standards, upgrade the chip for maybe future AI integration and also possibly hit that sub $100 price point.

Adding 8k would be really nice too.

 

[vantelimus]

Tired of seeing 18.1 is coming soon… lol feels like a snail with iOS 18 features releasing

18.0 has been out two weeks. It will be less than six weeks before 18.1 is released. It is all the content you’ve been reading about it here, Reddit, etc. that is making it seem excruciatingly long. If you really want it, pay the $99 to become a developer and get beta access. It only comes at the risk of bricking your phone with a bad beta. LOL.

 

[dominiongamma]

iOS coming soon? Stop publishing false information… there is not even beta 6 lmao

Exactly ! When I took my iPhone into the Apple Store the other day for a screen replacement (more like a new device) I saw heavy promotion for Apple Intelligence, but I’m here laughing because customers were asking about it about it since it had heavy promotion of it in the store, then I had to hear the eomployees saying it is not available. It was was sad

 

[dominiongamma]

18.0 has been out two weeks. It will be less than six weeks before 18.1 is released. It is all the content you’ve been reading about it here, Reddit, etc. that is making it seem excruciatingly long. If you really want it, pay the $99 to become a developer and get beta access. It only comes at the risk of bricking your phone with a bad beta. LOL.

I miss the days when all features were released, but under Cook it’s about milking the sales

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

I know it’s late night, but a quick scroll through the article and I almost pictured that wallpaper as a really nice tush. 🍑😂

*Words to avoid wrath of mods lol

 

[bkaus]

#16 - use battery like crazy

 

[bkaus]

18.0 has been out two weeks. It will be less than six weeks before 18.1 is released. It is all the content you’ve been reading about it here, Reddit, etc. that is making it seem excruciatingly long. If you really want it, pay the $99 to become a developer and get beta access. It only comes at the risk of bricking your phone with a bad beta. LOL.

Don't need to pay anything for public beta. Good bad idea is up to individuals risk tolerance.

 

[DesignTime]

iOS 18.1, full of new bugs and the old bugs still haven’t been fixed. I feel like Apple beta is only a marketing stunt now. So many tester and there seems to be more bugs than they had in 2007.

 

[GermanSuplex]

Coming from a 14 Pro Max to the 16 Pro Max won’t feel like much of a difference until the 18.1 update arrives. I don’t shoot enough pics for the camera control to be that useful, and it’s been buggy when I have. The action button is relegated to a mute switch, if they add double and triple-click actions, that would make it much more useful.

It’ll be the software features that the 14 misses out on that will make it start feeling like a real update.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iPhoneOS 18.1

Fixed that... Your iPhone won't do much with regular iOS, just like your iPad won't work without iPadOS!

 

[azhava]

Fixed that... Your iPhone won't do much with regular iOS, just like your iPad won't work without iPadOS!

It's been 15 years since iOS was called iPhoneOS. OS3 was the last version of "iPhoneOS".

 

[wbeasley]

Camera app has a few "rough edges"...

Had a number of times I rotate the Photo app after taking a photo and it gets confused and makes the images odd sizes.

 

[Adora]

18.0 has been out two weeks. It will be less than six weeks before 18.1 is released. It is all the content you’ve been reading about it here, Reddit, etc. that is making it seem excruciatingly long. If you really want it, pay the $99 to become a developer and get beta access. It only comes at the risk of bricking your phone with a bad beta. LOL.

Don't need to pay anything for public beta. Good bad idea is up to individuals risk tolerance.

You don't even have to pay anything if you don't want to publish your apps or don't develop at all to get the Developer Beta.

You only need to login with your Apple-ID to the developer account and can download anything in there and then the updates for developer betas will appear automatically on your devices to choose.

It's almost 10 years ago since this has changed.

I paid only a single time for getting the DB in 2015 or 2016 and can also login with other Apple-IDs that never had a subscription. I could always download the profiles to get the betas in the following years and now you don't need even those anymore.

 

[Baseiseough]

All i want is Apple showing again it’s commitment towards gaming by announcing more Apple Sillicon native AAA games. Maybe some
Sony games like the Horizon series or some MS games like the new Indiana Jones!

 

[LimpHamster]

It’s weird how EU customers are not louder about all features not going to the EU actually. No matter who’s fault it is.