iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence coming in a week: 10 features you must try
iOS 18.1 is expected to launch on October 28 with a limited number of Apple Intelligence features. Notably, the Apple features will only come to selected iPhones.
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After the launch of iOS 18 with the iPhone 16 series, tech lovers are eagerly waiting for the next step. At WWDC 2024 held in July, the company revealed that Apple Intelligence features, which were previously scheduled to arrive with iOS 18, will debut in this next phase. But now the wait is finally over, with Apple eyeing to launch iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence next week. Although official information has not been revealed yet, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has been saying that it will be launched on October 28.
That being said, rumors suggest that Indian users will only have access to limited AI-powered tools, and initially, all features will be available only in US English. Apple has announced plans to introduce local language support in a future update, although support for Indian languages is not expected until next year. As a result, Indian iPhone users may need to wait for full access to Apple Intelligence functionalities.
According to reports, later this month, the tech industry will see the first rollout of Apple Intelligence features. The first roll-out will include only some selected features and others will be extended until 2025. According to Gurman, the timeline is that the iOS 18.2 update will arrive in December, which will introduce ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, and Image Playground. And in early 2025, iOS 18.3 and iOS 18.4 will be introduced, which will bring a new Siri experience. Here are some of the features coming this October 28th.
iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence: New features
Writing Instruments: Apple Intelligence offers advanced writing tools that proofread text for spelling, grammar, word choice, and sentence structure. These tools can rewrite content to increase clarity and adjust tone without altering the message. Users can select from three tone options: friendly, professional, or concise.
Advanced Photos App: The Photos app now lets users create memory movies by providing simple descriptions like “my cat in 2024” or “Orlando in the summer.” This feature automatically selects relevant photos and music. Users can further customize the movie with the Memory Mix option, select a mood to dictate the audio, or add specific images and scenes to the prompt.
Clean-up Tool: A new clean-up tool uses AI to remove unwanted elements from photos without altering the main subject. This tool is similar to Android’s Magic Eraser and gives users precise control over their images.
New Siri UI: Apple is completely redesigning Siri this month with a new interface. Unlike previous versions, which illuminated only part of the screen, the new Siri UI will illuminate all edges. Additional AI-powered features connected to Apple Intelligence will come in future updates.
Priority Notifications: Apple Intelligence can now analyze notifications and prioritize the most important notifications, which will appear at the top of the new Priority Notifications section. It also summarizes long or grouped notifications and integrates with Focus Mode to minimize interruptions, ensuring only relevant alerts are shown.
Customizable Control Center: Control Center in iOS 18 is completely customizable. In iOS 18.1, Apple has introduced dedicated toggles for individual connectivity options, which were previously nested in a unified widget. A new Reset Control Center feature in the Settings app allows users to restore the layout to factory defaults.
Call Recording and Transcript: Apple uses its call recording and transcription feature After an iPhone makes a call, the system produces a transcript. Transcription is supported in English (US, Australia), Spanish (US, Mexico), Mandarin (China Mainland), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Korean (South Korea).
Camera Control Upgrade for iPhone 16: iOS 18.1 adds a new feature for iPhone 16 users, allowing them to switch to the selfie camera by simply swiping up within the camera control interface.
Visual Intelligence for iPhone 16: The Visual Intelligence feature allows users to identify objects and locations through the iPhone camera, leveraging Apple Intelligence to learn in real-time. This feature is exclusive to the iPhone 16 and can be activated using a dedicated button within the camera control interface.
