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Apple rolled out the iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 update for iPhone on Wednesday. It arrives a week prior to the anticipated introduction of the iOS 18.1 stable release and brings more features powered by Apple Intelligence — the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) suite that it previewed at its WWDC 2024 in May. This includes Image Playground, Genomoji, ChatGPT Integration in Siri and other new features. There are also a handful of new additions exclusive to the iPhone 16 series.
iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 Compatible Models
Apple says all iPhone models compatible with the iOS 18 update are eligible to download the latest iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1. However, at present, it is speculated to be rolled out only for the models supporting Apple Intelligence. This includes the entire iPhone 16 lineup, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 Features
With iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1, Apple Intelligence features have been expanded. The Cupertino-based tech giant previewed a host of AI additions at its developer conference in May but only a handful of them — such as writing tools, web page summarisation and automatic movie creation in the Photos app — were rolled out with the prior beta updates. iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 update adds the standout features that Apple flaunted.
It includes Image Playground which leverages generative AI to generate images based on textual prompts. This feature also bundles the Genmoji tool that works along the same lines but for customised emojis. The created images can be shared in apps such as Messages, Notes, and Keynote. Then there’s an Image Wand feature that can transform a rough sketch into a related image in the Notes app. However, at the time of writing, using Image Playground requires a separate early access which users will have to request after installing the update.
Image Playground in iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1
Apple has also brought ChatGPT integration to Siri. The voice assistant can now leverage the capabilities of OpenAI’s AI chatbot to provide users with more in-depth responses to queries and even insights about photos and documents. They can ask for ChatGPT via Siri directly to get enhanced answers. Additionally, it also becomes a part of Writing Tools, enabling Apple Intelligence to tweak the text even further by providing prompts or composing a new one altogether. The feature requires optional sign-in, and iPhone users with a paid ChatGPT account can use their account for access to more powerful OpenAI models.
iPhone 16 series users will be able to take advantage of the new Visual Intelligence as part of the iOS 18.2 Developer Beta 1 update. It is said to be Apple’s own version of Google Lens. Long pressing the Camera Control button brings up a new interface. Users can point the camera viewfinder towards an object and the iPhone will be able to search for it on the web or ask ChatGPT for more information.
While Apple Intelligence is the highlight of the update, other changes have been introduced too. This applies to the Email app which now has a new look coupled with an on-device categorisation system. It can now separate emails into four different categories: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.
In addition to new features, Apple has also expanded the availability of Apple Intelligence to more English-speaking locales. It is now available in the following languages for the respective regions:
- English (Australia)
- English (Canada)
- English (New Zealand)
- English (South Africa)
- English (United Kingdom)