Apple has taken the unusual step of officially confirming the release date of an upcoming iOS release, with iOS 18.1 set to drop on October 28, 2024.
This is because Apple has been sharing early access to new features with a select group of reviewers, who are presumably embargoed until the release date.
In particular, they’ve been testing the new hearing health features that will be added to AirPods Pro 2 with a firmware update alongside the iOS 18.1 release.
But iOS 18.1 will also mark the first time Apple Intelligence will be available to the public, with a huge number of new features for anyone with an AI-compatible device (iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, or any iPad with an Apple Silicon chip).
There’s a lot to dive into, most of which we’ve explored and written about already as part of Apple’s beta testing program. New features including systemwide Writing Tools for editing text, a magical Clean Up tool that removes distractions from photos, AI summaries and highlights in Mail and Safari, new focus modes to reduce interruptions, and much more besides.
Rest assured we’ll recap everything as soon as iOS 18.1 is available on the 28th. Mark your calendars!