iOS 18.1 will be released at the end of October with Apple Intelligence for iPhone

iOS 18.1, the next version of Apple’s iPhone operating system, is set to be released next week. Apple confirmed this to The Verge on Monday (21) while announcing new health features for the AirPods Pro 2. With this update, compatible iPhones will gain access to Apple Intelligence, although its functionality will still be somewhat limited initially.

According to the report, iOS 18.1 will introduce several health-related tools for AirPods Pro 2, including clinical-grade hearing aid capabilities, a hearing test, and more advanced hearing protection features.

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While Apple has not provided an exact release date, it’s anticipated that iOS 18.1 will likely arrive early in the week based on past release patterns. The update is also expected to coincide with new iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS versions.

Earlier rumors had suggested that iOS 18.1 could debut around October 28, making the timeline plausible.

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What’s new in iOS 18.1?

In addition to the new health features, iOS 18.1 will also mark the introduction of Apple Intelligence, a suite of native generative AI tools for the iPhone. This new functionality will include options to write and edit texts more efficiently, enhancing user productivity with the help of AI.

However, access to Apple Intelligence will be limited at first. It will only be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and newer models. Additionally, the feature will initially only work on devices configured in English.

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Apple is expected to expand support to other languages by 2025, gradually increasing the accessibility of this innovative AI functionality across more regions.