Mark Gurman - gamebastion.com

iPhone 16 Is Out, But Apple Intelligence, Its Hero Feature, Isn't—this is the sentiment circulating on social media ever since the new iPhone 16 series launched. And rightly so—Apple hasn't released the Apple Intelligence features just yet. They will arrive with the iOS 18.1 update in the future, but while many may be expecting the complete suite of AI features in the next update, the reality is that Apple will release them gradually over the coming months with iOS 18.1, iOS 18.2, iOS 18.3, and iOS 18.4 updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

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In his Power On newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple could be working on the iOS 18.2 update, featuring Genmoji, ChatGPT integration, and the Image Playground app—three of the biggest features showcased at the WWDC 2024 event earlier this year. This update is expected by December. However, major features of the star of the show, the screen-aware, super-smart Siri—which even inspired the “It's Glowtime” event name for the iPhone 16 launch—may not arrive until 2025. Gurman reports that the revamped Siri features will be introduced alongside iOS 18.4, which will carry most of the updates, though some may even ship with iOS 18.3, planned for January–February. That said, iOS 18.4 is expected to launch in March 2024, with full completion planned for February 2025. Having said that, you will get the new glowing Siri UI, and some features with the iOS 18.1 update.

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Buyers expecting Apple Intelligence fully loaded on their iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, or standard iPhone 16 will only get these features through beta updates for now.  However, iOS 18.1 isn't far off and may launch in October. But, meanwhile, Gurman notes that this staggered rollout may indeed test consumer patience, especially as some features may not arrive until March

Mark Gurman