Apple Intelligence is Apple’s solution to bringing iPhone users closer to the generative AI experience. When Apple first unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, everyone expected it to be introduced to users alongside the new iPhone 16 series and iOS 18. However, this was not the case. This was an interesting move by Apple at a time when every tech company is racing to roll out AI features in their phones in some form or the other in 2024. However, at the iPhone hardware event, Apple said that Apple Intelligence would launch in late October. Now, rumors suggest that iOS 18.1 will release on October 28 with Apple Intelligence features. But why the delay?

“It’s a huge accomplishment and we think we want to get it right,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. In a separate interview with WSJ magazine, Apple CEO Tim Cook also answered the same question, saying that Apple is following its “not the first, but the best” policy. “We are completely okay with not being in first place. As it turns out, it takes some time to make it really great. It requires a lot of repetition. It’s important to worry about every detail. Sometimes, it takes a little longer to do this. We’d rather race to get something done first than have that kind of contribution to that kind of product and people, Cook said.

Federighi reiterated the same philosophy in his interview. “You can put something in there and it may be a mess, but Apple’s approach is let’s try to get each piece of it right and ready,” he said.

Currently, only some Apple Intelligence is available for testing in the beta version, and even when the stable version of the technology comes out, it will be available only to iPhone 16 series users and iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users. Next week, Apple will release some Apple Intelligence features only to eligible iPhones. The full set of features will launch by 2025.

However, most technology critics argue that if Apple was not ready to introduce intelligence, why did Apple advertise this feature with iPhones. Federighi has the answer. “We wanted to get customers excited about what’s to come… We wanted to show them what their phone could be like and what’s coming in the next few months.”

Federighi says Apple didn’t want to create a product that was like a standalone chatbot, but rather something that was deeply integrated and personalized. “And with that comes a huge responsibility, and to do that, intelligence has to traffic into the information stored on your device, and that means privacy is an extremely important consideration”.

Essentially, Apple claims that it is building Apple Intelligence responsibly and with privacy in mind. He doesn’t want to be the first one to launch it, but he wants to get the best version of it. Meanwhile, critics say Apple Intelligence marketing has made big claims, but when it is implemented, many customers will feel disappointed.

Apple Intelligence rolls out timeline and features

Apple is introducing a series of new features powered by Apple Intelligence in its upcoming software update, aimed at enhancing the user experience in writing, photo editing and notifications.

Writing Instruments: A new writing assistant will help users proofread text for spelling, grammar, word choice, and sentence structure. It can rewrite content for clarity and adjust the tone, offering options like friendly, professional, and concise.

Photos app enhancements: Users can create personalized Memory Movies with simple descriptions, such as “My cat in 2024” or “Orlando in the summer.” Apple Intelligence will automatically select relevant photos and music, but users can refine the output through the Memory Mix feature, choosing a specific mood or adding scenes and images.

Cleaning Tools: Apple has introduced a clean up tool, similar to Android’s Magic Eraser, that allows users to remove unwanted elements from photos without altering the main theme. This tool uses AI to edit images seamlessly.

New Siri UI: A redesigned Siri interface is coming soon, featuring a new look where Siri illuminates all screen edges instead of just one area. While the new UI will launch this month, other Apple Intelligence capabilities for Siri are expected in future updates.

Priority Notifications: Apple Intelligence will sort and prioritize iPhone notifications, placing the most important notifications at the top in the new Priority Notifications section. It can summarize long notifications or group multiple alerts, work seamlessly with Focus mode to reduce distractions and ensure only relevant notifications arrive.

Rollout Timeline: The rollout will begin in October with iOS 18.1, which will bring major updates. In December, iOS 18.2 will introduce ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, and Image Playground. In early 2025, iOS 18.3 or 18.4 will launch with an improved Siri experience. The full suite of Apple Intelligence features should be available by the time the iPhone SE 4 is released.