Apple is expected to launch the beta test for iOS 18.1 this week. The software will be the first rollout of Apple’s AI since the announcement back in June. iOS 18.1 won’t launch until October so this beta test will see the software launch well after the initial rollout of iOS 18 in September.
Keep in mind that at the moment, Apple has two software updates in beta testing. iOS 17.6 and iOS 18. The latter is the newer update which brings new home screen changes, dark mode icons, a new Photo App and more. It is also the foundation for the Apple Intelligence platform.
When iOS 18.1 launches into beta, Apple will then have three beta software tests running concurrently. We haven’t seen this happen before. However, the Apple Intelligence push is likely why the company will separate these updates.
According to Mark Gurman, iOS 18.1 will allow developers to test Apple Intelligence features on supported devices. This means iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max owners can take advantage of these AI tools.
At the moment we don’t know at what scale these tools will arrive in. Apple has a number of AI features available with in-app Siri support, generative emoji and editing features. Many of these tools have been delayed to early 2025. So it will be interesting to see what Apple will include in this iOS 18.1 beta.
The delay to October also means that the unannounced iPhone 16 range might not launch with Apple Intelligence. The new devices are expected to be announced in September and launched a few weeks later. It is unlikely that Apple will delay the product launch to align it with iOS 18.1. The software will likely be rolled out after the phones are available in stores.
Apple hasn’t shared any details on the plan for iOS 18.1 yet. We don’t know if the beta will launch this week alongside iPadOS 18.1 and a newer version of macOS with Apple Intelligence.
Source: Bloomberg
