Apple announced the new iPhones of 2024, the iPhone 16 series, at its latest keynote event on September 20. The new models feature notable changes compared to previous generations, especially the non-Pro variants, which now include two new buttons—the Action button and the Camera Control button—in addition to camera improvements and a new design. Lastly, we now have (or are about to get) AI integration in iPhones, with Apple’s version of artificial intelligence.
Although the company joined the AI party a bit late, it has ensured the wait will be worthwhile. Apple Intelligence, when it arrives, will introduce AI features like a new Siri with ChatGPT integration, writing tools, image cleanup in Photos, notification summaries, and more. These features, however, will be rolled out in phases, and it may take several months for all of them to become available. Here are the details on how and when Apple Intelligence features will come to your iPhone, a detailed roadmap. For those unaware, the Apple Intelligence will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 series.
Apple Intelligence rollout timeline (roadmap):
iOS 18.1: Siri enhancements, writing tools, notification summary, and more
Apple’s latest AI-powered features, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, offer a significant upgrade to the iPhone experience. One of the most notable improvements is Siri’s enhanced understanding. The virtual assistant now excels at recognizing follow-up requests and can even handle stumbles in speech.
For users who rely heavily on written communication, Apple Intelligence provides a suite of writing tools. These tools can rewrite, summarize, and proofread text, making it easier to compose clear and concise messages. Additionally, the new notification summaries offer a streamlined way to stay updated on important messages, emails, and other app notifications.
In the realm of photography, Apple Intelligence introduces the “Clean Up” tool. This innovative feature allows users to remove unwanted elements from photos, such as people or objects, and then uses generative AI to seamlessly fill in the background. For those who enjoy creating personalized photo memories, the ability to create a Memories movie simply by typing a description is a game-changer.
Finally, Apple Intelligence brings practical features like phone call recording and transcription, as well as a new Focus mode called “Reduce Interruptions.” This mode prioritizes important notifications, ensuring that users aren’t overwhelmed by unnecessary distractions.
iOS 18.2 – Image playground and Genmoji, AI in more countries, and ChatGPT integration with Siri.
According to macrumors, Apple is internally testing iOS 18.2 which is anticipated to be released in December and will bring more AI features for eligible iPhones. With this version, the Cupertino giant will expand the reach of Apple Intelligence in localized English countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.
In addition, Siri will get more powerful with the integration of ChatGPT. Not only with Siri, but users will also be able to take advantage of ChatGPT in writing tools feature. All the iPhones, iPads, and macs with Apple Intelligence will be powered by ChatGPT 4o, which is the advanced version not available to public for free.
Moreover, the Image playground AI feature will be added that will allow users to generate images based on a description, suggested concepts, and even a person from your Photos library. Similarly, users can also create Genmojis using description.
Looking at Apple’s past trends, the iOS 18.2 is expected to be released in December.
iOS 18.3 – New AI features for Siri are in the works that will be available with iOS 18.3
iOS 18.3 will release at the begining of 2025 and will likely bring some additional enhancements to Siri. Other than that, it’s unknown as to what new AI feature this update will bring, but as soon as new information arrives, we’ll make sure to update this section.
iOS 18.4 – Siri – Personal Context, On-Screen awareness, and deeper Per-App controls, plus AI features expanding to even more countries.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Siri’s highly anticipated ability to offer more personalized and contextual responses will not be available until March.
Gurman had previously indicated that these advanced features, including personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls, would be part of iOS 18.4 which is expected to be released to public in March, 2025.
Furthermore, Apple Intelligence will expand its language support to include Chinese, French, Japanese, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages in 2025. This timeline suggests that these additional languages will be incorporated into iOS 18.4.
While there’s also a possibility of these languages being added in iOS 18.3, it’s more likely that iOS 18.3 will be a relatively minor update released shortly after the U.S. holiday season.
