Apple Intelligence: Is the AI Siri only coming with iOS 18.4?
Apple is still a long way from the finish line with its AI offensive. The AI Siri is not even expected until spring 2025 – and initially only in the USA.
(Image: Apple)
It's not just Europeans who have to be patient considering the DMA conflict between Apple and the EU regarding Apple Intelligence. Internationally, at least some of the announced AI functions also require patience - but this is because Apple is simply still working on the functions. According to new information, the voice assistant Siri, for example, which has been revamped with artificial intelligence, will not make its debut in the USA until next spring.
If the information leaked to the US financial news agency Bloomberg is correct, Intelligence Siri is not expected until iOS 18.4 – well after the release of iOS 18, which is expected in September this year. This was reported by journalist Mark Gurman in his Power on newsletter over the weekend. Thanks to his good sources at Apple, Gurman has already accurately predicted many of Apple's new launches in advance recently.
Apple needs more time
The fact that Apple still needs time for its intelligence is by no means out of thin air. It is already clear that the AI functions, the first wave of which was announced for the fall, are anything but ready. There is still no trace of Apple Intelligence functions in the current developer betas. Apple already hinted at this at the WWDC developer conference. It is unclear when the first functions will be ready for testing in the summer – perhaps it will be with the first public beta, which is expected shortly.
The iPhone's voice assistant, on the other hand, will take much longer, according to Gurman. In the future, Siri will be able to understand natural language and make references. There will also be better integration with other apps. Alongside other AI functions such as image generation, the creation of individual emojis (Genmoji) and text correction, the AI Siri is the flagship of Apple's AI offensive. The fact that it is not due to arrive until spring 2025 is fueling speculation among experts that Apple has decided to announce Apple Intelligence very early considering the competitive pressure from OpenAI and Google - and that it might not have been unveiled until summer 2025 under other circumstances.
Europeans will have to wait anyway
For Europeans, there is no land in sight for Apple Intelligence presently, anyway. Apple has announced that the interoperability requirements of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) could stand in the way of a launch in the fall. This is not so serious because initially only US English will be available as a language anyway. Other languages may not be available until 2025.
Anyone speculating on the AI Siri or the AI functions on Apple devices other than the iPhone, iPad and Mac will also have to wait. Integration on the HomePod is not currently planned - but it is possible that better AI could be a feature on a new smart speaker with a screen, according to recent reports. Apple's spatial computer, the Vision Pro, will also have to make do without intelligence for now.
(mki)