Apple AI features will not be included in the initial release of key software updates

The company plans to begin rolling out Apple Intelligence to customers in software updates expected to arrive in October, according to people with knowledge of the matter. That means the AI ​​features will arrive a few weeks after the initial September releases of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing unannounced release details.

Still, the iPhone maker plans to make Apple Intelligence available to software developers for the first time for early testing as early as this week via beta versions of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, they added. The strategy is unusual because the company typically doesn’t release previews of subsequent updates until after the first version of a new generation of software has been publicly released.

The stakes are higher than usual. To ensure a smooth consumer release of its big bet on AI, Apple needs developer support to help fix issues and test features more broadly. Concerns about the stability of Apple Intelligence features, in part, prompted the company to split the features from the initial release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.

Apple announced the new features and operating systems at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, saying Apple Intelligence would debut as part of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The new timing means the AI ​​capabilities won’t be widely rolled out until another update to the new operating system. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

The tech giant launched the fourth beta of iOS 18.0 for developers last week and aims to finish development by the end of July. When Apple introduces new iPhones every September, the company bundles new software with them. This requires completing the operating system a few weeks early to give the device time to install the software before it ships from the factory.

Apple Intelligence’s release plan shows the possibility that the first iPhone 16 models shipped to consumers later this year will not have the new AI features and will require a software update a few weeks later. Apple Intelligence includes a range of features, including prioritization of key notifications, web and voice memo summaries, tools to improve typing, a Siri overhaul, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT integration.

Even when Apple Intelligence launches with iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, there will be some features missing. This includes some of the most important changes to Siri, such as the ability to use on-device data to help with field queries and the system using what’s on a person’s screen to provide context for responses.

The company plans to roll out the full set of Apple Intelligence features via multiple iOS 18 updates in late 2024 and the first half of 2025, Bloomberg News reported. In addition to the iPhone and iPad, Apple Intelligence will come to Macs with internal Apple chips as part of macOS Sequoia. It is also in development for the Vision Pro, but a release for that device is not planned until a later date.

The tech giant is banking on Apple Intelligence to help it compete in the generative AI space that has taken the world by storm and upended both businesses and consumer devices over the past year. By limiting support to last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and the upcoming iPhone 16 line, Apple also believes the new features could help sell new iPhones this year.

There will be no major design changes to the iPhone 16 lineup, so software improvements — aside from a new camera button and a faster layout — will be key to driving sales of the new models.