Well, Apple sure pulled a fast one on us! The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max have all been unveiled, alongside a public beta of Apple Intelligence, ready to enhance your new iPhone right from the start.
True, the public beta isn’t as polished as the forthcoming iOS 18.1 update scheduled for next month, but I took the plunge and installed it on my new iPhone 16 Pro Max, and I’m quite pleased with how it’s performing so far.
To be completely upfront, I initially tried out the iOS 18.1 developer beta 1 on my iPhone 15 Pro Max back in July. After a few days of experimenting with Apple Intelligence, I removed the glitchy software from my device. The issues weren’t so much with Apple Intelligence itself, but rather with the general instability that often comes with developer betas, which really shouldn’t be installed on your main phone.
Jump ahead to September 20, and not only do I have the brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium, but I’ve also reinstalled iOS 18.1 thanks to an unexpected release of the public beta by Apple. Public betas are still works in progress but are generally much more stable than developer versions, and so far, it’s looking good.
After unboxing my 16 Pro Max, I immediately updated to the iOS 18.1 public beta (for details on how to do this, see our guide on installing iOS 18.1 public beta), and got myself on the Apple Intelligence waitlist.
In just a few minutes, my new iPhone was equipped with Apple Intelligence, alleviating some of my concerns about the potential messiness of its launch.
To be clear, the iOS 18.1 is still a beta version, so while I’m comfortable using it on my primary device, I wouldn’t recommend installing it unless you fully understand the implications. Luckily, I haven’t encountered any bugs or performance issues so far, and the features of Apple Intelligence that are available are functioning quite well, although user experiences can vary based on the apps you use.
Regarding Apple Intelligence, it includes all the capabilities my colleague Lance Ulanoff highlighted in his review of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This includes Writing Tools for editing and summarizing text, smart replies in Messages, a redesigned Siri (though not quite as advanced as we might hope), a Clean Up feature in Photos to remove unwanted objects, options to create Movie Memories, and perhaps the most underappreciated feature: Reduce Interruptions Focus mode.
While it may not seem like a significant overhaul of iOS on the best iPhone out there, Apple Intelligence really gives your device a 2024 AI-powered makeover, making my new phone feel fresh and more than just a slight step up from my excellent iPhone 15 Pro Max from the previous year.
Still a Bit Green
So far, I’ve used Apple Intelligence to reply to my girlfriend more often than I’d like to admit (she’s starting to notice, so I have to watch it), quickly removed a dog toy from a photo background of my French Bulldog, and utilized the Reduce Interruptions to mute unnecessary notifications. I haven’t experienced any issues with Apple Intelligence’s performance while using the iOS 18.1 public beta; everything runs smoothly and much better than my initial trial with the developer beta months earlier. Although the AI features aren’t fully matured yet, they’re promising enough to excite me about the future of my iPhone 16 Pro Max and all the Apple Intelligence features it will eventually support.
If you’re undecided, testing the iOS 18.1 public beta with Apple Intelligence isn’t the worst decision you could make. But remember, it is a beta after all.
- iPhone 16 review
- iPhone 16 Plus review
- iPhone 16 Pro review
I am Sofia, a tech-savvy journalist and passionate member of the “Jason Deegan” team. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the latest technological advancements and loved sharing my knowledge with others.