When Apple’s next big iPhone update goes live, it will be arguably the biggest in the company’s history. That’s because it includes the lion’s share of Apple Intelligence, which has been available only in small part in iOS 18.1—or in almost all countries, not at all. But the release date is not the one you might have read about.
Apple Intelligence coming soon in iOS 18..2.
Apple has merely said that the release will happen in December, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently pinned it down much more specifically.
He said we should expect to see the release in “The week of Dec. 2, barring any unexpected delays.” I don’t think that’s right—but I don’t believe there have been any delays, either.
The week of Dec. 2, you’ll realize, is just days away and that day is in fact, Cyber Monday. It never quite seemed likely to me that this week would be a goer.
After all, this week includes Thanksgiving with its holidays and travel—losing key days just before a release would always have been unlikely to work. Those last-minute touches need a full team working hard, not drifting back in after days away. And the current developer and public beta versions don’t quite seem close enough to final release.
So, when, exactly, can we expect to see iOS 18.2?
I’d say we should work on the principle that it will be one of the two following weeks, that is, the weeks commencing Monday, Dec.9 or Monday, Dec. 16. This is a very big release, so Apple will want it out the door as soon as possible, but not before it’s ready.
I’m going to plump for the week of Dec. 9. Apple’s favorite day for such releases is Tuesday, so that would mean Dec. 10, though later dates in that week can’t be ruled out.
The update will be particularly bumper for the five countries which don’t have Apple Intelligence yet, but will get all the goodness enjoyed by iOS 18.1 U.S. users as well as the more advanced iOS 18.2 features. These countries are the U.K., Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, because Apple is extending Apple Intelligence to more English-speaking nations than the U.S.
Mark your calendars, then, for Monday, Dec. 9, Tuesday, Dec. 10 or even Wednesday, Dec. 11. Barring, as they say, unexpected delays. If more details emerge, I’ll cover them, so please check back.
