iOS 18.2: Key Apple Intelligence features are coming to iPhones in December

Apple to release iOS 18 on September 16, but the advanced Apple Intelligence tools, including Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration in Siri, will be available with iOS 18.2 in December

Apple is releasing its new iOS 18 operating system today, on September 16. However, the initial rollout will not include Apple Intelligence features. These advanced artificial intelligence tools will be available in subsequent updates over the coming months. iOS 18.1, expected to be released by October, will include the first set of Apple Intelligence tools such as text summarisation, text generation, and notification summary. More advanced features such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration are anticipated with iOS 18.2 in December.

iOS 18.2: What to expect

According to a Bloomberg report, iOS 18.2 is expected to be available on eligible iPhone models by the end of this year, likely in December. The update will include the following features:

ChatGPT in Siri

With iOS 18.2, Apple is expected to introduce ChatGPT integration into Siri. While Siri will continue to handle on-device tasks such as setting alarms and making calls, more complex queries will be processed by ChatGPT. Users will have the option to choose whether their request is sent to ChatGPT for processing. Full system-wide ChatGPT integration is expected to arrive with future iOS 18 updates.

Apple Intelligence in more languages

At the iPhone 16 launch event, Apple confirmed that Apple Intelligence will initially support US English. Localised English support for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom will be introduced later this year.

Image Playground

Image Playground is Apple's new image-generating tool that will likely be available with the iOS 18.2 update. It will offer a standalone app for generating images from text prompts and will also be integrated into other apps such as Notes, Messages, and Mail.

Genmoji

Genmoji is another image generation tool that allows users to create custom emojis. Users can generate emojis directly from the keyboard by describing what they want, and these custom emojis can be sent to others in Messages.

Hearing Health for AirPods Pro 2

Apple has announced new Hearing Health features for the AirPods Pro 2 with iOS 18, expected to roll out in December with the iOS 18.2 update. These features aim to offer prevention, awareness, and assistance to users. Notable features include Loud Sound Reduction, Hearing Test, and a Hearing Aid feature, which recently received authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US.