Apple Intelligence is being put on hold for a while. The beta version is already available to developers to fix current bugs, but it means they miss the launch of the latest software generation.

Earlier this month, Apple announced the beta version of iOS 18, but without Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new AI suite. According to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources, the company now wants to make Apple Intelligence available to software developers for early testing via the betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. It’s an unusual approach for the company to provide beta versions before the release of a new generation.

Concerns about the new AI features prompted the company to decouple the launch of the AI ​​suite from the new software generation in October to allow more time to fix bugs.

Atypical strategy

Apple’s new AI suite, which seems to be helping the company catch up in the AI ​​race, is back in the fire. There are concerns about the stability of the new AI features and whether they will work properly.

To find and fix the bugs, Apple plans to make Apple Intelligence available to software developers for early testing through the betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. This is an atypical strategy, as the company usually never makes beta versions available before the first version of the new software generation has been released.

This decouples the release of Apple Intelligence from the planned software release in October. Software developers have already been able to test the new AI suite in beta, so the company can work with that feedback. This gives Apple more time to fix bugs in the AI ​​features.

The iPhone 16 comes too early

Apple’s iOS 18 is designed to boost sales of the upcoming iPhone 16. The latest software update requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16. Due to the delay of Apple Intelligence, the new features will only be made available in a next software update. This means that users with a new iPhone 16 will have to perform a new software update a few weeks after the rollout to be able to use the AI ​​features.

According to Bloomberg News, Apple plans to introduce the full set of Apple Intelligence features through several updates to iOS 18 in late 2024 and the first half of 2025.