Apple’s iOS 18.1 update is expected to launch on October 28, 2024. This update launches the most anticipated Apple Intelligence features, NFC access for developers, and other exciting changes for iPhone holders.
The company has just announced the update to iPad Mini. However, it doesn’t include the A17 processor, which is capable of running the new AI features that the company declaimed at the WWDC event that happened earlier this year and during the launch of the iPhone 16 in September. The company is certainly feeling the pressure from Google, Meta, and several other tech companies that have added ‘AI’ to their marketing deck, pushing them to incorporate more AI features into their products.
This update includes advanced AI tools such as smart text reading, summarising, and proofreading. This update will improve applications like Notes, Mails, and Photos for smoother content creation and organization.
This new version has a ‘reduce Interruptions’ mode, which will introduce AI-driven notifications. Using this feature you can cancel out unnecessary alerts, which permits you to stay focused by delivering only urgent notifications. This could act as a smart focus mode to enhance productivity.
Modifications have been made in the Photos app. Now you can easily remove unwanted objects from images using a Clean-Up tool. The intelligent assistant Siri is also getting a new look with a glowing light ring, improved voice or text responses, also AI-based answers about Apple products.
For the very first time, the new Apple version opens the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party developers. With this feature, you can initiate contactless payment and digital car keys in apps. This feature was initially available to limited countries such as the US, UK, and Japan.
iOS 18.1 will work on all iPhones that support iOS 18. Anyhow, advanced AI features are accessible only for newer models such as iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. This feature is only compatible with Macbook and iPad such as iPad Mini (Late 2024), iPad Air (M1 and later), iPad Pro (M1 and later), iPad (M1 and later), and Mac computers with Apple Silicon (M-series). To install this, go to settings> General> Software Update after October 28.
Developers or users enlisted in Apple’s public beta program can download prerelease versions of iOS 18.1 now and sign up to test Apple Intelligence. (The technology is also compatible with iPadOS 18.1 and MacOS Sequoia 15.1.)
The latest developer beta is the seventh revision, which usually states Apple is close to launching it. The most specific information is a rumor from expert Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who says the first Apple Intelligence features will launch on Oct 28.
There are some rumors about the Apple hardware event happening in late October, but in the same newsletter, Gurman now estimates a Nov 1 date introducing new M4-based laptops, a revamped M4 Mac Mini, and an M4 iMac. He also added that date for a new iPad mini, which the company announced this week and will start shipping Oct 23.
