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On Fri, 13 Dec, 4:01 PM UTC
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[1]
Continued iOS 18 development is impacting iOS 19's production
The launch and development of Apple Intelligence and other iOS 18 features could impact iOS 19, due to engineers working on the AI push. Apple's development of features for operating systems usually reaches a crescendo with their introduction in a major fall release. However, the amount of work still being carried out in iOS 18 could cause problems for iOS 19. In a post to X, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims he continues to "hear that the gradual rollout of features across iOS 18 to iOS 18.4 is leading to delays of some features scheduled for iOS 19." With engineers tied up on iOS 18 projects, including the intensive work on Apple Intelligence, this means they aren't working on projects for the iOS 19 release, Gurman adds. In turn, the long iOS 18 engineering slog will also lead to "a long term rollout of features next cycle as well," with Apple's teams fighting to catch up. To users, this could translate into more features being announced for iOS 19, but a longer wait before they actually get implemented in the operating system. Gurman doesn't directly mention Apple Intelligence, but given that the bulk of the new features in iOS 18 are associated with it and its extended rollout period, there's little else the continued work could refer to. While this is a rumor based on one source, it is something that is entirely believable. Slips in development are extremely common thought the software industry, both for single-run software launches and more regular updates like operating systems. Bigger slips also have the potential for features to miss an intended release date, or even an entire version. Slips are practically a fact of life for developers, and something that is constantly battled. For Apple, the risk is in missing out on adding enough new features or other improvements to iOS 19 that it becomes a lackluster update to users. However, with users fairly used to the idea of features arriving months after launch, this shouldn't be a massive problem for Apple to deal with. Even with this risk, Apple does have a well-established development process and cycle, which it has previously demonstrated it can adapt to meet its needs. In late October 2023, Apple stalled development of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and its other major 2024 updates for a week. It was later explained that it was a week of debugging, in a bid to make the releases as bug-free as possible. In 2019, after observing software glitches after an iPhone launch, Apple made a series of development procedure changes. This also occurred after Apple had to postpone several features destined for iOS 12 to arrive in iOS 13 instead.
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The iOS 18 feature backlog has got so bad it's starting to affect iOS 19
Apple forced to take engineers off iOS 19 development to deal with delayed features. Troubling news from inside Apple Park, where the engineering team is reportedly struggling to deal with the increasingly dire state of iOS 18 development. The public version of iOS 18.0 launched back in September, but it did so without the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, the most highly anticipated new feature for this cycle. It's debatable whether the company always planned to hold back Apple Intelligence until a later software update, but it seems unlikely, given that this meant the iPhone 16 launched without its flagship feature. Apple Intelligence eventually arrived as part of the iOS 18.1 update at the end of October, but was still missing many of its features (including Image Playground, the heavily hyped generative AI illustration feature), not to mention support for any countries other than the U.S. England-language users in Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, and the U.K. had to wait until iOS 18.2, which has just arrived, and Apple is set to carry on adding new AI features well into 2025. iPhone owners in other countries who are keen to try out Apple Intelligence may be heartened by a seeming leak by Apple, which claims in the iOS 18.2 press release that the "initial set" of additional languages will arrive in April 2025. It's not clear which will be first, but the company said it's working on support for "Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese." Nevertheless, according to well-informed Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the iOS 18 rollout is not going according to plan. So much so that engineers who were supposed to be working on next year's iOS 19 update have been told to pitch in with iOS 18 instead. Gurman previously reported that Apple was working on a major upgrade for Siri in iOS 19, including the development of a of more advanced large language model. It's not clear whether this delay will change the schedule for that release or if it was always planned for a mid-cycle launch like the "next-gen Siri" coming as part of iOS 18 in 2025. That diversion of resources may help in the short term, but it's storing up problems for the future. With the result that iOS 19, according to Gurman, will have a staggered rollout of features much like iOS 18, and features that might have been slated to appear in iOS 19.0 being pushed back to a later release.
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Apple's focus on AI features in iOS 18, particularly Apple Intelligence, is causing delays in iOS 19 development. This could lead to a staggered rollout of features in future iOS versions.
Apple's ambitious plans for iOS 18, particularly the integration of AI features like Apple Intelligence, are causing ripple effects that extend to the development of iOS 19. According to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the ongoing work on iOS 18 is leading to delays in features originally scheduled for iOS 19 1.
The centerpiece of iOS 18, Apple Intelligence, has seen a gradual rollout since the initial release of iOS 18.0 in September. The feature was notably absent at launch, raising questions about whether this was always the plan or if development challenges caused the delay 2.
Apple Intelligence finally debuted with iOS 18.1 in late October, but with limited functionality and geographical availability. The iOS 18.2 update expanded support to English-language users in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and the UK. However, many features, such as the generative AI illustration tool Image Playground, remain unreleased 2.
The extended development cycle for iOS 18 features is having a significant impact on iOS 19:
Resource Reallocation: Engineers originally assigned to iOS 19 projects have been redirected to work on iOS 18, potentially delaying the development of new features for the next major iOS release 12.
Staggered Feature Rollout: Similar to iOS 18, iOS 19 is expected to see a gradual introduction of features across multiple updates, rather than a comprehensive release at launch 1.
Potential Feature Delays: Some features initially planned for iOS 19.0 may be pushed back to later updates within the iOS 19 cycle 2.
This situation highlights the complexities Apple faces in its software development process:
AI Integration: The focus on incorporating advanced AI features like Apple Intelligence is proving to be a resource-intensive endeavor 1.
Global Rollout: Apple is working on expanding language support for Apple Intelligence, with plans to add Chinese, French, German, and other languages by April 2025 2.
Quality Control: In late October 2023, Apple paused development of iOS 18 and other 2024 updates for a week to focus on debugging, emphasizing the company's commitment to software stability 1.
This is not the first time Apple has faced development challenges. In 2019, the company made changes to its development procedures following software glitches after an iPhone launch. Similarly, features originally intended for iOS 12 were postponed to iOS 13 1.
While these delays and the reallocation of resources may pose challenges, they also reflect Apple's adaptability and commitment to delivering polished features. The company's established development cycle and previous experiences in managing such situations suggest that while some features may arrive later than initially planned, Apple is likely to maintain its focus on quality and user experience in both iOS 18 and iOS 19.
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Apple is reportedly postponing a significant number of iOS 19 features, including a major AI-powered Siri upgrade, until spring 2026. This delay reflects Apple's cautious approach to AI integration and its ongoing development of in-house AI solutions.
10 Sources
10 Sources
Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update is set to bring significant changes, focusing on refining existing features, expanding AI capabilities, and improving system performance. The update is expected to be unveiled at WWDC 2025.
7 Sources
7 Sources
Apple's highly anticipated AI features, collectively known as "Apple Intelligence," may not be ready for the initial iOS 18 release. The company is reportedly planning to introduce these features in a later update, possibly iOS 18.1, scheduled for October or November.
7 Sources
7 Sources
Apple's iOS 18 update has been released, but some anticipated AI features are missing. The company plans to introduce these "Apple Intelligence" capabilities in future updates, leaving users curious about what's available now and what's to come.
7 Sources
7 Sources
Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update promises a significant redesign inspired by visionOS, enhanced AI capabilities, and improved user experience, set to be unveiled at WWDC 2025.
5 Sources
5 Sources
