According to recent reports, Apple Intelligence may not be released immediately with the arrival of iOS 18 later this year, but may come later as a further update.

The information comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who cites several people familiar with Apple's plans. According to them, Apple plans to delay the release of Apple Intelligence until October, several months after the release of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Presumably, this postponement is due to concerns about the stability of Apple Intelligence's functionality and the need to allow developers sufficient testing time. This means that the iPhone 16 lineup will require a software update to take advantage of this feature.

Curiously, it appears that Apple plans to release the first beta versions of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 for developers fairly soon. This beta will reportedly include Apple Intelligence as early as this week. This is odd, as Apple rarely releases a beta version of an OS before the original is released. However, this may indicate that Apple is trying to work out the bugs in Apple Intelligence as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence does not have all the features promised when it comes to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia. Several features, including an upgraded Siri, have been reported to be delayed beyond the official release. This means that the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 series will have to wait until Siri can use data on the device to answer questions and understand what is on the user's screen. The release date for these features has not yet been determined, but they are expected to appear in the first half of 2025.

While the absence of Apple Intelligence is disappointing, there is much to look forward to in iOS 18, given Apple's emphasis on promoting Apple Intelligence in its WWDC presentation. The update includes more customization of the Home screen and Control Center. It also includes a redesign of the Photos app, which so far seems to be controversial.

Holding back software to fix potential problems before they arise is not a bad thing. However, Apple is touting Apple Intelligence as a release feature, and this delay will leave a sour taste in consumers' mouths. This news may be the boost many need to hold off on upgrading until the iPhone 17.

For more on everything Apple has announced, see our breakdown of the 2024 WWDC presentation and a full list of Apple Intelligence features that may be released at any time.