Late last week, Apple discreetly announced that the release of an important Apple Intelligence feature would be postponed. The company has since made this information more accessible by including a note on its official website.
Apple Intelligence, which was revealed in June, was anticipated to feature an upgraded version of Siri, the company’s voice assistant. These eagerly awaited improvements aimed to enhance Siri’s comprehension of user context and its capability to communicate more effectively with applications.
In a statement, Apple explained, “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver these features, and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.”
This delay had previously gone unmentioned on Apple’s online store until recently, when this oversight was corrected. The Apple Intelligence webpage now states that “Siri’s personal context understanding, onscreen awareness, and in-app actions are in development and will be available with a future software update.”
Apple Intelligence has encountered several obstacles since its announcement at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Many expected its launch to coincide with the release of the iPhone 16 series in the fall. Instead, Apple decided to take a phased approach for the rollout. Some features of Apple Intelligence were included in the updates for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, while additional capabilities were introduced in later updates. Notably, Apple Intelligence remains unavailable in specific regions, such as the European Union.
This most recent setback in Apple Intelligence’s development occurs at a time when competitors, such as Google, are rapidly incorporating AI functionalities into their offerings, exemplified by their Gemini project.
