Apple's AI Features to Launch with iOS 18.1, Giving the Software Team More Time to Optimize iOS 18.0

At WWDC 2024, Apple grandly introduced its series of artificial intelligence services named Apple Intelligence. However, it seems that these services are still in the conceptual phase (referred to as "PPT"), as the Apple Intelligence will not be included in the iOS 18.0 release scheduled for September.

According to the latest news from Mark Gurman, a Bloomberg editor long focused on the Apple ecosystem, Apple plans to delay the launch of Apple Intelligence to iOS 18.1, which is expected to be released in the spring of 2025.

The Apple software engineering team aims to complete the development work for iOS 18.0 by the end of this month. The next phase involves continued testing to identify and fix potential bugs. Delaying Apple Intelligence to iOS 18.1 will also relieve pressure on the software engineering team, allowing them to focus on optimizing the functionality and experience of iOS 18.0.

It's worth noting that Apple Intelligence requires robust hardware support, meaning not all iPhone models will be capable of utilizing Apple Intelligence. However, the upcoming iPhone 16 series will definitely support it.

By integrating artificial intelligence experiences, Apple hopes to encourage more users to purchase the iPhone 16 series instead of continuing to use older iPhone models, potentially boosting sales. However, Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst, expressed skepticism, doubting that AI features would significantly contribute to the sales of the iPhone 16 series.

Apple Intelligence will also extend to Mac devices, but it remains unclear whether macOS Sequoia will introduce support for artificial intelligence in its official release, possibly ahead of iOS 18.1's launch of Apple Intelligence. More details on this are yet to be disclosed.

For developers who have long used iOS developer versions, Apple will undoubtedly need to conduct tests in advance. Therefore, it might be possible to test these new AI-related features in the iOS 18.1 beta before the spring of next year.