Apple Intelligence rolling out this month, but Indians have to wait longer

Apple is set to introduce Apple Intelligence this month, with the iOS 18.1 update bringing a range of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features to eligible iPhones. However, Indian users with eligible models may face delays in accessing these features, especially when it comes to localised Indian language support, which is not expected to arrive until next year.

Apple Intelligence, one of the key features of the iOS 18 operating system, will initially only be available on the latest iPhone 16 series and last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. However, not all features showcased at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this year will be available at launch. The rollout of Apple Intelligence will be staggered, with the first set of features arriving in iOS 18.1 and subsequent updates introducing more advanced capabilities.

While users in India will receive some of the AI-powered tools, all features will initially be supported only in US English. Apple has indicated that localised language support will be added in future updates, but support for Indian languages is not expected until next year. This means Indian iPhone users may have to wait for full access to Apple Intelligence’s capabilities.

Delays in India rollout

Apple has previously delayed certain iOS features for Indian users. For instance, the Live Voicemail Transcription feature, launched globally with iOS 17 last year, only became available in India with iOS 18. Although Apple is not expected to follow the same pattern for Apple Intelligence, delays in the rollout of certain features in India cannot be ruled out.

iOS 18.1: First batch of Apple Intelligence features

The iOS 18.1 update will introduce the following AI-driven features:

• Redesigned Siri: Siri will feature a refreshed interface and improved natural language processing. Integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT will come in a future update.
• Notification Summary: This feature consolidates notifications from various apps into a concise overview, including third-party apps.
• Webpage Summary: Available in Safari’s Reader view, this tool summarises web pages for quicker reading.
• Writing Tools: AI tools for proofreading, rewriting, and summarising will be integrated into apps like Notes, Mail, and Messages.
• Smart Reply: AI-generated reply suggestions for Messages and Mail apps.
• Clean-up: An AI-powered image editing tool in Photos that removes unwanted background elements from images.
• Movie Memory: This tool creates AI-generated videos from images and clips stored on the device, based on user descriptions.

Apple Intelligence promises to enhance the user experience with more personalised and efficient tools, but Indian users may have to wait a while before enjoying the full spectrum of these features, especially with local language integration.