When Apple released the iPhone 16 series on Friday, September 20, one key piece of the puzzle was missing: Apple Intelligence. The first part of Apple’s approach to AI is set to arrive next month with the iOS 18.1 update on all iPhone 16 models (plus the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max). But a new report says one key element could be here sooner than thought.
New Siri is coming to the iPhone 16.
The virtual assistant Siri is set to get a major overhaul with Apple Intelligence, but previous reports said that wouldn’t happen until next spring – about six months from now. But now it seems that part of the smarter Siri could be included in an iOS version sooner than expected, writes Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter.
The first glimpses of Apple Intelligence not intended for beta testers will “probably be delivered to consumers in a couple of weeks,” with iOS 18.1 expected in mid-October. More features, including the ability to create customized emojis or specific images from text input, will then be available in iOS 18.2. “The company wants to get this version to a bug-free state in early November so it can ship by December,” Gurman says.
Then iOS 18.3 is expected to be ready before the end of the year and launched in January. And this is where it gets interesting. Until now, it was thought that the smarter Siri would come in iOS 18.4, expected in March. But while iOS 18.4 “will include many of the new Siri features,” Gurman says, he puts that in perspective by adding that “some, I’m told, are being considered for iOS 18.3.”
That would mean that some of the new Siri features, though not all, could be available on iPhones in the first few weeks after the New Year. That makes sense: If Apple can announce that some smart Siri features will be available just days after the end of the year, that could make the iPhone more attractive as a holiday gift.
Much of the excitement about the new iPhones is about the new camera controls, better Ceramic Shield front glass protection and longer battery life, but for once the software announcements were just as compelling. If Apple can make Siri smarter sooner rather than later, that will increase the appeal.
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