Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Last month, Apple released iOS 18 right before the launch of iPhone 16. This update introduced several new features, but it did not include the most significant one, Apple Intelligence, which Apple had promised at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. That will change next week.
According to The Wall Street Journal and The Verge, which have examined Apple’s upcoming AirPods Pro 2’s hearing health features, iOS 18.1 will arrive sometime next week. Apple had previously said it would launch before the end of the month, and this seems to confirm that.
Updates, including iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, will all contain the first of Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) features that were announced in the spring. Based on the current iOS 18.1 beta, the update will feature three Apple Intelligence features: writing enhancements, photo cleanup capabilities, and notification summaries.
The first offers enhanced autocorrect, grammar and spelling checks, and predictive text capabilities that learn your writing style over time. With Clean Up in Photos, you can now use AI to identify and suggest removing duplicate photos, screenshots, and blurry images to free up storage space. With Apple Intelligence’s Notification Summaries, you get concise summaries of less important notifications, making it easier to manage notification overload.
Along with iOS 18.1, Apple will push out a firmware update for the AirPods Pro 2 next week. Once installed, it will allow the earbuds to become clinical-grade hearing aids for those with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Other new features likely to arrive next week include sleep apnea detection for the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, Tiktok integration with Apple Music, bug fixes, and more.
Additional Apple Intelligence features are expected to launch in upcoming software updates before the end of the year and into 2025. These will include improvements to Siri, new image creation capabilities, ChatGPT integration, improved security, and more.
The following iPhones will support Apple Intelligence: the entire iPhone 16 series, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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