Earlier this week, we speculated that Apple still has enough time to roll out Apple Intelligence features before iOS 18 is ready for public release. Now, it looks like Apple is on track with the progress, and we might get to use AI features soon.
Apple has finally made the first developer beta of iOS 18.1 available. In fact, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer betas have also been rolled out.
First developer beta includes generative writing, emails get smart replies, and Siri gets a new look
Even though a full-fledged generative AI experience might be a bit far away, we’re seeing some early bits appearing. Here’s a quick summary of Apple Intelligence features included in the first iOS 18.1 developer beta –
- Writing tools
Rewrite, proofread, and summarize the text in Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
- Siri
- New glowing design on the edges when active
- Switch between text and voice while interacting with Siri
- Provides device support and answers questions across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Siri can maintain context in conversations and follow users even if they stumble
- Urgent emails are highlighted at the top of the inbox
- Users can see email summaries without opening the message
- Smart Reply can identify all the questions in an email and suggest responses
- Photos
- Natural language search for photos to find specific photos
- Search within videos to find specific moments in the recording
- Create custom stories with text descriptions using Memories. Based on the description, Apple Intelligence will automatically pick the best photos and videos and craft a storyline.
What else is there in iOS 18.1?
In addition to this, users can switch on the ‘Focus,’ which shows only the notifications that need immediate attention. Plus, transcript summaries are also available. At the moment, this beta is available only to registered developers and on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. So far, there is no date or expected release window for the public beta.
It is worth noting that the iOS 18 upgrade will be available for iPhone SE (2nd generation) and newer phones in the fall, around September. However, when the AI features are rolled out, they will be available only for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series.
If Apple stays on track and there are no delays, then we might be able to get Apple Intelligence features alongside the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which will run iOS 18 right out of the box.
