Apple Intelligence, the tech giant's next big innovation for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, is almost here—and it's expected to change how we interact with these devices. But when exactly will it arrive? 

According to Mark Gurman, a well-known Apple analyst from Bloomberg News, the update is rumoured to begin its rollout on Monday, October 28. Gurman broke the news in his 'Power On' newsletter, stating that iOS 18.1 will bring the first set of Apple Intelligence features to users.

Initially, Apple had hinted at an earlier, mid-October launch for iOS 18.1. However, the company has pushed back the release to ensure a smoother rollout, suggests Gurman, adding that the extra time will be used to iron out bugs and ensure Apple's AI cloud servers can handle the surge in traffic when millions of users start updating their devices. 

This means new iPhone owners—particularly those with the brand-new iPhone 16 series, or the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, will need to wait a few more weeks to try out Apple Intelligence.

However, please keep in mind that October 28 is a rumoured release date only, and has not been officially confirmed by Apple at the time of writing.

What will be in iOS 18.1?

The first round of features in iOS 18.1 will focus on enhancing user experience with tools designed to make daily tasks easier, states a report by the Apple-based news platform 9to5Mac. The updated iOS will include improvements in writing assistance, an updated interface for Siri, and smarter ways to manage notifications. Users will also see new features in the Photos app, like personalised memory creation and tools to clean up their photo libraries,  states 9to5Mac.

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Apple's iOS 18: Key updates you need to know

However, at launch, these features will be available only to US English users. To access them, users will need to ensure their device language and Siri settings are both set to US English. For other English-speaking regions like the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, Apple Intelligence is expected to arrive by December 2024. 

Though the first wave of Apple Intelligence is exciting, it's just the beginning. According to the 9to5Mac report, the real game-changers in Apple Intelligence are scheduled to roll out in December 2024 with iOS 18.2, which will introduce a deeper integration with ChatGPT, personalised emoji creation, and a new Image Playground feature for enhanced creativity. Following that, early 2025 will bring the full Siri upgrade with either iOS 18.3 or 18.4, states the report.

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