Apple unveiled the first developer beta of iOS 18.2 Wednesday (Oct. 23), marking an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities with new features, including image generation and ChatGPT integration.
The update represents Apple's second wave of AI features, branded Apple Intelligence. It introduces tools that put the company in direct competition with generative AI offerings from Google and Microsoft.
Central to the release is a suite of image-generation features, 9to5Mac reported. A new tool called Image Playground enables users to create custom images from text prompts, while Image Wand converts Apple Pencil sketches into refined illustrations. The company is also introducing Genmoji, a feature integrated into the system keyboard that allows users to create custom emojis.
Apple is incorporating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its Siri virtual assistant and Writing Tools in a notable partnership. Users can now delegate complex queries from Siri to ChatGPT, such as creating travel itineraries, though they must explicitly opt-in to preserve privacy. The Writing Tools expansion includes a free-form text field for custom writing transformations.
Owners of the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will gain access to Visual Intelligence, a feature activated through the lock screen's Camera Control that provides instant information about photographed objects.
The beta release expands Apple Intelligence beyond U.S. English to include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.K. However, regulatory constraints have forced Apple to disable these features in China and the European Union.
This update builds upon iOS 18.1's foundation, which introduced AI-powered writing assistance, enhanced Siri capabilities, and intelligent features in Photos, notifications, and Mail. The company plans to roll out iOS 18.1 to the public next week.
Apple's iOS 18.2 beta reveals a major overhaul of its Mail app. It features AI-powered smart categorization that automatically sorts emails into Primary, Transactions, Updates and Promotions folders. The redesigned interface now displays profile pictures and sender icons in the inbox while incorporating Apple Intelligence to generate smart replies and enhance the visibility of sender history.
Reactions to the Mail app changes were swift on social media.
"I just want it to return to the inbox after deleting an email instead of moving to the next message," Reddit user 0000GKP wrote on the forum. "I have all the auto categories and smart replies turned off in Gmail. It will be interesting to see if Mail overrides those settings. I like the look of profile pictures, but not enough to give up 20% of the screen width. This is something I would keep turned on for iPad and Mac, but turned off for iPhone if that's an option."
While iOS 18.2 is available only to developers, Apple has committed to a public release before year's end. Additional AI features, including enhanced Siri contextual awareness and an AI-powered notification system, are scheduled for early 2025.
The expansion of AI features reflects Apple's growing emphasis on artificial intelligence as it competes with Google's Android and Samsung's Galaxy AI initiatives in the premium smartphone market.