iOS 18 will soon be rolled out globally for iPhone users, Apple confirmed on Monday. It will bring a host of new features with several of them being powered by Apple Intelligence – the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) suite. The upcoming iPhone update, first announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 in June, also unlocks new home screen customisation options, in addition to other quality-of-life improvements. In a subsequent announcement after the iPhone 16 launch, Apple confirmed the release date and the list of devices that will receive the iOS 18 update.
iOS 18 Update Release Date
According to Apple, the iOS 18 update will be released globally as a free software update on next Monday (September 16), days before the iPhone sale begins in India, the US and other regions. However, not all of the Apple Intelligence features will be available to users with the first iOS 18 update.
The Cupertino-based tech giant says that the first set of generative AI features will be rolling out to iPhone users with the iOS 18.1 update next month. Other Apple Intelligence additions such as a smarter Siri and Image Playground will be introduced in the coming months. In addition to English, Apple Intelligence will also be expanded to include Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish languages over time.
iOS 18 Eligible Devices
Apple says all devices compatible with the iOS 18 developer and public beta updates will be eligible to get the public version of the update. This includes flagship models such as the iPhone 15 Pro Max to old handsets like the iPhone XR. The new iPhone 16 series also joins the existing models as the devices that will receive the big update, which includes Apple Intelligence features. The full list of iPhone models getting the iOS 18 update is as follows:
- iPhone 16 Series
- iPhone 15 Series
- iPhone 14 Series
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 13 Series
- iPhone 12 Series
- iPhone 11 Series
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2020)
However, not all of these models will get Apple Intelligence. Only iPhone models powered by Apple’s A17 Pro or later SoCs will be able to take advantage of generative AI features. These models include the entire iPhone 16 series, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.