iOS 18: Apple releases major new software update in public beta – but with key feature missing

Public beta lets the world try out software early – though comes with warnings that not everything will be ready

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Apple has released a public beta of iOS 18, its upcoming software update, allowing the world to try it out.

But it comes without perhaps the headline feature of that update: Apple Intelligence, new AI tools that are intended to improve the experience with Siri.

Apple has also released the public betas for the new iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV software. Those too are missing the AI features and improved Siri that Apple has said is coming later.

iOS 18 was unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, last month. It said then that it would release in the autumn but that users would be able to try it out early.

It brings a whole host of new features to the iPhone. Users can customise the home screen in new ways, such as putting apps wherever they want and changing the colour of them, and apps including Photos have been redesigned.

The other platforms have been given their own updates. The new Watch update brings the option to include rest days on the activity app and Macs can mirror the screens from iPhones.

But much of Apple’s introduction focused on those new AI features. The company demonstrated how the phone will be able to gather information from across the phone to help out with requests – so that Siri can answer a question such as “when will my mother’s flight land”, for instance.

Apple has said that those features will be saved until the autumn. Even then, they are expected to launch in their own early beta version first.

Many users will not be able to get them at all. Apple’s new AI tools are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well as newer iPads and Macs.

Anyone with compatible devices can update them to the beta through Apple’s devoted webpage. It comes with warnings about potential bugs and missing features that might be present in the software, though all but the Apple Watch can be rolled back in the event of issues.