iOS 18, iPadOS 18 will be available on September 16

After months of beta testing, Apple will release iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 on September 16, just days before the arrival of the new iPhone 16.

In June, Apple launched iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, its most powerful operating systems ever for iPhone and iPad. The new operating systems set the stage for the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Apple's integration of AI into its mobile platforms.

Apple Intelligence significantly improves the functionality of tools like Mail, Siri, search, and more. Apple Intelligence will provide tools for summarizing and supercharging your apps and also allow you to generate new text and images from your phone.

For example, users can type in natural-language searches for photos and create movies from them. Siri will not be confused if users stumble over their words while speaking.

The new operating systems set the stage for a continuous addition of Apple Intelligence features.

However, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 won't have full Apple Intelligence capabilities at launch. Apple plans to roll out Apple Intelligence features to devices over time, with the first Apple Intelligence feature updates available as a beta in October.

Apple Intelligence features for English-speaking users will arrive in December. Apple plans to continue adding new Apple Intelligence features and supported languages over time.

The new releases also brings freshly revamped interfaces and new features in apps like Photos and Mail and messages. Improved messaging support using the Rich Communications Services protocol is also coming, allowing more seamless communication with Android and other users.

Starting with iOS 18, iPhone users can now send and receive messages over satellite when they're out of cellular or WiFi range. Privacy features have also been improved, including locking specific apps and requiring FaceID to unlock them.

iPad with blue-themed screen on white keyboard stand, camera lens, and orange drives beside it. Large number 18 graphic on the right. Background has pink and blue lighting.

iPadOS brings new functionality to Apple's iPad.

The iPadOS 18 release will also bring AI features like improved writing tools that allow users to proofread, summarize, and rewrite text across the operating system. The new Image Playground provides generative AI features. It lets users generate images in different artistic styles, and the Math Notes feature allows users to solve equations directly in the Notes app.

Starting with the iPhone 16, Apple has begun integrating Apple Intelligence into the hardware. The new A18 processor in the iPhone and iPhone Pro was built using "second-generation " circuitry designed to handle Apple Intelligence's high processing power needs.

Users will be able to upgrade their iPhone and iPad to the new operating system directly in System Preferences. The new iPhone models will likely ship with iOS 18 preinstalled.

3 Comments

nubus 574 comments · 8 Years

About 3 weeks ago

Apple Intelligence is the closest thing to vaporware and FUD we have seen for a decade or more. It reminds me of the demo I got of the Copland OS by Apple.

AI will be part of iOS 18 - except that not a single part will. But some part will arrive October/November - as a beta. More parts will be delivered later (no surprise...). Regional support will expand but we don't know if UK can expect a beta or a final release this year and of what? Within 16 months 5 more languages with x functions while Google Gemini is supporting 45 languages today.

Apple could have delayed iPad OS 18 and gone all-hands in order to fix iOS.

appleinsideruser 605 comments · 5 Years

About 3 weeks ago

The proofreading AI jobby looks half-handy. I know some colleagues who’d benefit from that!

programmer 3465 comments · 23 Years

About 3 weeks ago

nubus said:

Apple Intelligence is the closest thing to vaporware and FUD we have seen for a decade or more. It reminds me of the demo I got of the Copland OS by Apple.

AI will be part of iOS 18 - except that not a single part will. But some part will arrive October/November - as a beta. More parts will be delivered later (no surprise...). Regional support will expand but we don't know if UK can expect a beta or a final release this year and of what? Within 16 months 5 more languages with x functions while Google Gemini is supporting 45 languages today.

Apple could have delayed iPad OS 18 and gone all-hands in order to fix iOS.

I think this is a mischaracterization of what is going on. "Apple Intelligence" is more of an umbrella term for all usages of machine learning across Apple's platforms. There is a bunch of underlying tech that is already in place, or being added in 18... but it isn't directly user visible. Instead all the services built on top of it will start showing up when they are working sufficiently well. With training-based technologies, this can be tricky to get to a high enough quality bar, and experience in using these approaches needs to build up in each team. So there are already some places "AI" is being used in iOS, and in the initial iOS 18 release those should be visible (e.g. Siri keeps getting better). More services will roll out new features incrementally from now on. This isn't an iOS vs iPadOS vs macOS (etc) thing... all those platforms probably share the same implementations, so if Apple is going "all in" to get things done, it will be on a service-by-service basis. Their ML/AI experts will be running around getting one service after another up to a high enough quality to ship it.

Copland was a major problem because it was all-or-nothing. The whole thing had to reach a high enough quality bar, and it just never did.

Whether ML/AI can actually deliver on its promise for each service is an independent question, which has the advantage of being able to treat these features independently.

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