iOS 18 without Apple Intelligence will make for a weak iPhone 16 launch

(Image credit: Apple)

I'm worried about the iPhone 16.

Let me rephrase that. I'm not worried about the iPhone 16 hardware — that'll be good. iPhones are always good. But as any long-term iPhone lover knows, year-on-year, the changes in hardware are getting smaller all the time. I’m worried about the software, and this year is all about software — iOS 18 could be a revolutionary moment in iPhone history thanks to its Apple Intelligence AI features, and they were all-but set to launch alongside iPhone 16. But that launch window has been thrown into jeopardy and has instead been replaced with the prospect of a dull first few weeks with Apple's next handset. And no iPhone launch should ever feel dull. So what's happening?

Apple Intelligence is the headline feature of iOS 18 and, for many, Apple’s AI features will be THE reason to purchase a new iPhone when September comes. But according to a new report from top insider Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple Intelligence won’t arrive until iOS 18.1 becomes available in October. To be clear, that’s as part of the first big update to iOS 18 — in other words, iPhone 16 won’t have AI at launch.

And that’s just the start of the problem. Not only will Apple Intelligence arrive later than expected and presumably after the release of iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max but it’ll be made available in beta without the new overhaul of Siri (expected to arrive in 2025). Even when iOS 18.1 does arrive, many of the cool WWDC 2024 AI tricks Apple showcased still won’t be fully ready, if the report is to be believed.

Without Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16 will launch with a massive caveat, but what will that mean for the next generation of Apple’s smartphone?

iOS 18 relies on Apple Intelligence

I’ve been using iOS 18 beta since June and quite frankly, without Apple Intelligence, it’s a barebones update, to say the least. Sure, you can now change the tint of your app icons and Math Notes makes calculating budgets a breeze, but nothing stands out as a major upgrade to the iPhone’s operating system.

Apple Intelligence, however, is set to completely revolutionize the best iPhones by adding AI-powered features that take into account personal context across the whole operating system. From improvements to Siri that make the voice assistant infinitely more capable to generative AI that lets you create emojis from ideas, Apple Intelligence is going to reinvent consumer technology and propel AI further into the spotlight.

The iPhone 16 launch was set to be synonymous with the arrival of Apple Intelligence, especially considering this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only compatible iPhones as it stands. You’d expect Apple to go hard on Apple Intelligence marketing for the iPhone 16, tempting iPhone 15 owners and those who haven’t upgraded in a while to think about the implications of an AI-powered iOS and its capabilities. But that will all have to wait unless this delay to Apple Intelligence coincides with an unreported delay to the launch of the iPhone 16 — but I highly doubt that.

How will Apple make consumers opt for the iPhone 16 on launch if the landmark new software features aren’t baked into the product from day one? I’m not entirely sure but if any team can do it then it's the marketing experts in Cupertino.

iPhone 16 powered by Apple Intelligence… Just not yet

So we’ve determined that iOS 18 is pretty underwhelming without Apple Intelligence and that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are presumably going to launch without the headline AI features. However, considering the implications of the new AI-powered elements of iOS and just how life-changing they may be (if Apple’s keynote at WWDC is anything to go by) then waiting a month to gain access is really not that tough an ask.

The rumors hint at larger displays on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, but apart from that we’re expecting the iPhone 16 lineup to be an iterative year for iPhone. That said, Apple Intelligence will be the kicker and as long as consumers are happy to hold onto their shiny devices without full capability for a month then Apple will still be onto a winner.

Apple is bringing AI to the mainstream whether you like it or not and while only iPhone 15 Pro owners and those who opt for a 16 model will get to experience Apple Intelligence at first, it’s only a matter of time until everyone is living Apple’s AI future.

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John-Anthony Disotto is the How To Editor of iMore, ensuring you can get the most from your Apple products and helping fix things when your technology isn’t behaving itself. Living in Scotland, where he worked for Apple as a technician focused on iOS and iPhone repairs at the Genius Bar, John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade and prides himself in his ability to complete his Apple Watch activity rings. John-Anthony has previously worked in editorial for collectable TCG websites and graduated from The University of Strathclyde where he won the Scottish Student Journalism Award for Website of the Year as Editor-in-Chief of his university paper. He is also an avid film geek, having previously written film reviews and received the Edinburgh International Film Festival Student Critics award in 2019. John-Anthony also loves to tinker with other non-Apple technology and enjoys playing around with game emulation and Linux on his Steam Deck.

In his spare time, John-Anthony can be found watching any sport under the sun from football to darts, taking the term “Lego house” far too literally as he runs out of space to display any more plastic bricks, or chilling on the couch with his French Bulldog, Kermit.