- Apple rolled out long-awaited AI features to some iPhone and other users with its iOS 18.1 update.
- Eligible owners must join a waitlist to access Apple Intelligence.
- Analyst Dan Ives has predicted AI features could drive a significant iPhone upgrade cycle.
Apple has begun rolling out its new artificial intelligence features to select users.
The new software is officially available on iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, months after the tech giant first announced Apple Intelligence at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Starting Monday, those who have an iPhone 15 Pro or later model can access several AI-powered features when they update to iOS 18.1. Since the WWDC keynote in June, Apple has shown off tools that will change how many people use their iPhones.
These are the Apple Intelligence features out now
The first round of Apple Intelligence features includes a redesigned Siri, writing tools, summaries and smart replies, an updated Photos app, and a new focus mode.
With iOS 18.1, Apple said Siri can field typed requests, answer “thousands of questions” about Apple products, and understand context better.
Writing tools help proofread, summarize, and refine text across apps from Apple and third parties.
Apple said the Photos app is becoming “more intelligent” to allow users to get more specific in their search for a picture or video. A clean-up tool is also available to remove unwanted elements from the background of images.
There’s also the memories feature in the Photos app. Users can put together movies with their own photos and videos with a simple prompt.
In the Mail app, there’s a new section for “priority messages” that have urgent subjects — Apple used same-day invitation and boarding passes as examples.
Apple said new notification summaries will help users catch up on their group chats and smart reply can formulate quick responses. Meanwhile, the new reduce interruptions focus mode interprets which notifications are worth alerting while you’re busy.
Here’s how to get Apple Intelligence
To ensure they get the features, iPhone owners must join a waitlist to request activation of Apple Intelligence. It can be found in the Settings app after upgrading to iOS 18.1.
Apple has said its new software is “a personal intelligence system integrated deeply into your iPhone, apps, and Siri.”
Parts of the intelligence system are available in US English as of Monday, and Apple said support for English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK will come in December.
There’s more to come in December.
Apple’s AI timeline isn’t exactly clear, but the company shed some light on the next drop.
Genmojis, customizable AI-generated emojis, and image playground are among the features expected to become available in December. Apple said that writing tools and Siri will also get an upgrade in December with introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
In the months leading up to the September release of the iPhone 16, some analysts hailed Apple Intelligence as the spark that would set off a frenzy of smartphone upgrades.
Dan Ives, a senior analyst at Wedbush Securities, predicted a “golden upgrade cycle.”
IPhone sales slowed in Q3, and Apple CEO Tim Cook said it was too early to tell if AI would be enough to boost sales in the final quarter during the earnings call in August. Apple will report earnings on Thursday.
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