Apple is making a strong push for AI with its new iPhone 16, heralding a major shift towards what they’re calling Apple Intelligence. “The next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up,” Apple CEO Tim Cook stated during the announcement. Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, emphasized that Apple Intelligence is central to the iPhone 16 experience. Following the event, Apple even released a dedicated press statement on Apple Intelligence.
However, there’s a notable caveat: the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro will not feature Apple Intelligence capabilities when they first launch.
While the new A18 and A18 Pro chips are equipped with a 16-core Neural Engine designed to support large generative models, and Apple has been testing various Apple Intelligence features—such as a redesigned Siri, photo editing tools, and improved notification summaries—these will not be available at launch. These features are currently part of an iOS 18.1 beta for developers, but will not be accessible to the general public until later.
Some Apple Intelligence features are expected to be introduced in a vague October release window for iOS 18.1. Initially, these features will be in beta and available only in US English, with plans to expand to Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish next year. More advanced updates, including image generation, custom emoji creation, context-aware Siri improvements, and ChatGPT integration, are scheduled for a broad release later this year or in early 2024.
Reports suggest that the image generation capabilities might debut with iOS 18.2 in December, while ChatGPT integration is also expected later this year. Despite the high-profile emphasis on AI, Apple remains somewhat elusive about the exact timing of these features, and the company did not respond to inquiries about the rollout.
Given the mixed reception of AI tools and ongoing concerns about their reliability and potential for misinformation, Apple’s gradual rollout might be a chance to address any issues. If the AI features are a key reason you’re considering upgrading, it might be worth delaying your purchase until these capabilities are fully available—perhaps waiting until next year or at least until October.