Apple will release iOS 18.2 next month, which will house major AI features announced at its WWDC 2024 event in June. However, Apple Intelligence is an ongoing endeavor, as the company will update the list of features in the future. In contrast, the company's rollout of front-facing features is slow, as it has been a while since the debut of Apple Intelligence, and we are not even halfway through the promised features. It is now being reported that a 'larger-than-usual' AI feature will be postponed in iOS 19, which means that it will potentially face the same fate as iOS 18.
Some major Apple Intelligence features in iOS 19 will be postponed until 2026
According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple will postpone many iOS 19 features beyond iOS 19.4. This means that users cannot use the new AI features in iOS 19 until Spring 2026. As mentioned, Siri has not yet received its major update, and the company will potentially enhance the entire Siri experience next year with the release of iOS 18.4.
We have previously reported that Apple is working on an entirely new LLM Siri, which will replace the current version of the digital assistant to beat ChatGPT. This means that the company does not plan to stick with OpenAI for long, as its ChatGPT integration will be suspended after the rollout of a more capable Siri.
I’m told that a larger-than-usual number of features scheduled for iOS 19 (beyond the new Siri) are already postponed until spring 2026 (when iOS 19.4 debuts).
While Gurman did not highlight the features that will be missing from the iOS 19's initial updates, we can presume that the new LLM Siri will be part of the company's plans. The company is fully invested in Apple Intelligence and the features it will bring to the table, but it also lags behind the competition when it comes to releasing them on time. OpenAI has been very proactive in this regard, as it has been consistently releasing new features and AI models.
However, a new report suggested that OpenAI and other major contenders have reached an impasse, lagging innovation and solid breakthroughs in AI, while Apple is gradually catching up to the competition. It remains to be seen how Apple's future prospects will offer a wider variety and if the competition will continue to bolster Apple Intelligence.
iOS 19 will be announced in June of 2025 at Apple's WWDC event, and it will be released to the general public with some Apple Intelligence features in the fall. You can expect LLM Siri to arrive in the Spring of 2026, potentially in the March to April time frame. Do you think Apple will be able to ramp up the development of AI features for a timely release?
