Apple is sticking to its September launch timeline for the iPhone 16 series, despite delays in its new Apple Intelligence rollout. According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 16 series will debut as scheduled, continuing the pattern Apple has followed in recent years. Last week’s reports from Bloomberg indicated that the iPhone 16 devices wouldn’t feature Apple Intelligence tools initially.
Back in 2011, Apple delayed a hardware launch to incorporate new software features like iCloud and Siri. This year, a similar delay was anticipated due to unfinished AI features. However, the latest update from Bloomberg confirms that the new hardware will be released on time, with the iPhone 16 series expected to be unveiled around the same time as last year.
Table of Contents
Apple Intelligence Rollout
– The new AI features, collectively known as Apple Intelligence, are expected to launch in October with the iOS 18.1 update.
– Initially, only a limited set of AI features and tools will be available, with more to come gradually.
– This gradual rollout is one reason Apple isn’t delaying the next iPhone models, as significant features like OpenAI’s ChatGPT integration and an enhanced Siri are slated for consumer availability next year.
Last week, Apple released the iOS 18.1 developer beta, offering early Apple Intelligence features for testing. These include:
– Smart Reply in Messages
– Writing Tools for summarization
– Email summarization and sorting in Mail
– Audio transcriptions
– Memory Movie in Photos
– An updated Siri interface
However, these features are exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models, even though the iOS 18.1 developer beta is available on all eligible iPhones.
iPhone 16 Series Launch – Key Points
Despite the delay in Apple Intelligence, Apple plans to release the iPhone 16 series on schedule. In his Power-On newsletter, Mark Gurman notes that while there was concern about a possible delay, Apple intends to stick to a launch date similar to last year, likely around September 10. The iOS 18.1 update, bringing Apple Intelligence to the public, is expected in October.
Apple Intelligence has faced challenges since its announcement at the WWDC 2024. Initially, it was revealed that only the iPhone 15 Pro series and iPhone 16 would support these features due to RAM requirements. Later, quality issues caused further delays.
Although it’s positive that Apple isn’t postponing the iPhone 16 launch, the absence of Apple Intelligence at release might impact initial sales. While the iOS 18 beta has introduced many promised features, it still seems less impressive compared to Samsung’s and Google’s offerings.
Apple faces a tough release period, but there’s ample time to refine and enhance Apple Intelligence features. The decision to maintain the iPhone 16 launch schedule is promising, but it remains to be seen how the delayed AI features will influence early sales.