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Apple is already working on iOS 18.5 - the first internal tests have been running since February. Normally this would be nothing special, but recent reports suggest that some of the planned Apple Intelligence features for Siri may not be released in iOS 18.4 as originally planned. The reason for this is that there are still software problems that are apparently posing challenges for Apple.
With every new iOS update, users expect improvements, new features and optimized performance. This time, the focus is on the integration of artificial intelligence into Siri, which should significantly improve the user experience. But development is apparently not going quite according to plan, so some of the planned features may not be available until later.
iOS 18.5 already in the testing phase
MacRumors according to iOS 18.5 is already being tested internally by Apple's software engineers. Normally, this would not be big news, but the well-informed Apple expert Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reportedthat Apple is struggling with software-related difficulties. The new Apple Intelligence functions for Siri, which were originally supposed to be introduced with iOS 18.4, are particularly affected. The company now seems to be considering only releasing these features with iOS 18.5 or even later. The reason: There are still bugs and other technical problems that Apple has to solve first.
Planned Siri Improvements and Apple Intelligence
Apple unveiled the new Siri features for the first time at WWDC 2024. The main focus was on integrating Siri deeper into users' everyday lives. The planned improvements include:
- Screen awareness: Siri recognizes what is displayed on the screen and can respond to it.
- Personal context: Siri should better understand what the user means by taking the individual context into account.
- Advanced app control: Siri can interact directly with apps and retrieve relevant information.
During the presentation, an example was shown where a user asked Siri to look up his mother's flight and meal plans. Siri was able to pull the information needed from the Mail and Messages apps and provide an appropriate response. These improvements were originally planned to be introduced in iOS 18.4, but there is now a possibility that Apple will not enable some of these features until iOS 18.5 or later. If they are already included in iOS 18.4, they could be disabled by default and only enabled in later beta versions.
Beta release and schedule for iOS 18.5
According to current information, the first beta version of iOS 18.4 should be released in the next few days. The final release is planned for April 2025. According to Apple's usual release cycle, a first beta of iOS 18.5 would then be expected in April, while the final version could be released in May 2025.
Which iPhones are compatible with Apple Intelligence?
Not all iPhones will benefit from the new Siri features. Apple Intelligence requires powerful hardware and is only supported on the following models:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16 models
Older iPhones will not receive these AI-powered features.
iOS 18.5 in the internal test phase: Delays in Siri functions possible
iOS 18.5 is already in the internal testing phase, but some of the expected Siri functions could appear later than originally planned. Apple is apparently still struggling with technical difficulties, which could mean that some features will not be fully rolled out until iOS 18.5 or an even later version. Anyone who owns a current iPhone can still look forward to exciting new features. The first beta versions will show in the coming days which improvements will actually be usable. (Image: Apple)
