Just now, the eagerly awaited iOS 18.2 update went online, exactly as I had predicted. As part of a longer conversation that will be made public shortly, CEO Tim Cook told me earlier today in London that “it’s a huge day for Apple.” Cook was talking about the second phase of Apple Intelligence and the release of iOS 18.2.
Because iOS 18.1 lacked Apple Intelligence, this update is particularly important for users in the UK and other countries. “You’re getting everything at once,” Cook said. “I’m always excited to be in the U.K., but I’m particularly thrilled to be here today—it’s very special.”
You might want to install it as soon as possible to avoid the rush, even if it comes hours before other iOS updates and has a large download size. Let’s explore what’s included and how to obtain it. Keep an eye out for an unexpected feature that nobody anticipated.
The Surprising Bonus
Users had to sign up for a waitlist in order to get Apple Intelligence capabilities and some image tools in iOS 18.2, which wasn’t always speedy. The good news is that iOS 18.2’s new features don’t have a queue.
Which iPhones Can Run iOS 18.2?
iOS 18.2 is compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 17, just like other versions of iOS 18. This covers all of the more recent versions, including the second and third generation iPhone SE, as well as the 2018 iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone Xr.
However, Apple Intelligence is a key element of this edition, and it is only compatible with the iPhone 16 series and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
How to Install iOS 18.2
Open the Settings app, select General, and then Software Update to start the update download. Click Download and Install after that, then wait for the update to do its magic. Please be patient; my iPhone 16 Pro Max has more than 7GB of storage.
The Release’s New Features
This version is the second, and by far the most important, addition of Apple Intelligence features for customers in the United States. For the first time, English-speaking customers in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada can also access Apple Intelligence. Because it incorporates the functionality of iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, it’s the best upgrade for these customers.
Image Playground, a creative program that creates graphics based on descriptions, ideas, and images from your library, is among the most intriguing new tools. There are two styles available: animation and illustration, with a third type in the horizon. Genmoji, which enables you to generate unique emojis from a text prompt, is another fantastic feature. You may create more polished photos from crude sketches with the Notes app’s Image Wand tool.
Furthermore, ChatGPT is now immediately available on iOS using Writing Tools or Siri. You don’t need a ChatGPT account to make up to 30 requests per day.
With more sophisticated tone and intent modifications, the Writing Tools function has been improved to provide better editing and summarizing. With ChatGPT, you can even produce creative writing.
Visual Intelligence has arrived for iPhone 16 users. You may utilize your phone’s camera to find out more about the objects it is focused on thanks to this feature, which is accessed via the Camera Control button.
Additional Insights
Users have been anticipating this final stable version of iOS 18.2 since the first public beta was released a month ago. iOS 18.2 expands Apple Intelligence to new languages and countries and offers a plethora of new AI-powered features.
The focus is on Apple’s latest AI tools, such as the Image Playground app for producing photos and Genmoji, which lets you create emoticons from text prompts. Rough sketches can be turned into polished images with the Image Wand tool.
The incorporation of ChatGPT, which enables you to use Siri to access OpenAI’s potent language model for sophisticated search and queries, is another noteworthy advancement. A ChatGPT account is not required, and Apple guarantees that no requests will be stored.
The iPhone 16 series is the only model with Visual Intelligence. Similar to Google Lens, this technology lets users recognize and learn more about real-world items through the camera lens by pressing the Camera Control button.
Additionally, Apple Intelligence’s global reach has grown, as users in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom may now access specialized help. In the upcoming year, Apple also plans to introduce more languages and regional support.
Despite iOS 18.2’s enormous scope, future upgrades are anticipated to add more AI features, such as Priority Notifications, Personal Context for Siri, and other enhancements.
This exemplifies Apple’s “not first, but best” credo. Apple stands out due to its distinct focus on privacy and on-device processing, even while other tech companies like Microsoft and Google have made their own AI initiatives. Apple’s strategy might be more appealing to customers looking for privacy-focused solutions as AI becomes a more integral component of the tech sector.
Despite the difficulties in striking a balance between privacy and AI, Apple asserts that their model is better since it concentrates on neural processing on devices and private cloud servers rather than the data-hungry nature of many other AI systems. It remains to be seen if this strategy will be sufficient to win over customers.
