I found plenty of good reasons to install the iOS 18 right away that have nothing to do with Apple Intelligence. But there’s no question that Apple Intelligence is the most important feature in iOS 18. It’s one of the biggest developments in iPhone history.
I would have installed iOS 18.1 beta 1 a few days ago just to start testing the first Apple Intelligence features baked into the iPhone software. However, my iPhone 14 Pro doesn’t support Apple AI. Even if it did, Apple Intelligence isn’t available in Europe on any Apple device, not just the iPhone. Therefore, I couldn’t possibly pivot to iOS 18.1.
I expected as much as Apple confirmed a few weeks ago that it’s withholding the release of Apple Intelligence in the region due to local regulations. Apple must have referred to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The new legislation forced the company to overhaul the iPhone software experience for the region in ways it wouldn’t have considered without regulatory pressure.
But I don’t want the third-party app stores or payment systems that the DMA provides. All I want is to enjoy Apple’s software without roadblocks from governing bodies. In this case, I’m dying to try Apple Intelligence once I upgrade to the iPhone 16. While I have no idea when it’ll happen, I know at least that Apple is working with the EU to bring Apple Intelligence to supported devices in the region.
Obviously, I was expecting that to be the case. I knew Apple would work on adapting Apple Intelligence to the needs of the EU, just like every other tech company launching new products in the region. I saw it happen with virtually any AI product launched before Apple Intelligence. The EU got ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude later than other markets.
But Apple confirmed during Thursday’s Q3 2024 earnings call that it’s working with regulators in Europe and China to launch Apple Intelligence in these markets.
“We’re engaged, as you would guess, with both regulatory bodies that you mentioned,” Tim Cook said when asked about Apple Intelligence in the EU and China. “And our objective is to move as fast as we can, obviously, because our objective is always to get features out there for everyone. We have to understand the regulatory requirements before we can commit to doing that and commit a schedule to doing that, but we’re very constructively engaged with both.”
While the CEO did not commit to any release dates for Apple Intelligence, the statement above is reassuring. It sounds better than what Apple offered us a few weeks ago.
Apple cited privacy and security concerns as reasons for not bringing Apple Intelligence to Europe back then. “We are concerned that the interoperability requirements of the DMA could force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that risk user privacy and data security,” Apple said in mid-June. That’s all the company had to say about Apple Intelligence’s availability in the EU.
Cook’s remarks during the earnings call sound more promising, even without a calendar for the Apple Intelligence launch.
Considering this is the first year of Apple Intelligence features in iOS, that will not be a problem. Apple will roll out its AI features in stages. Some will be ready now like the Apple Intelligence features in the first iOS 18.1 beta 1. Others will need several more months of development, like the more advanced Siri assistant we saw at WWDC.
Cook confirmed as much during the call. He said that certain AI features and support for other languages will be added throughout the year.
We’ll be waiting all year to use some of the Apple Intelligence features Apple announced at WWDC. The extra DMA-related delays won’t bother me.
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