On November 6, Apple released the beta version of iOS 18.2, which offers the next look at the artificial intelligence features coming to Apple’s mobile devices in December. Apple also sent out corresponding beta releases for iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Apple Vision and the XCode 16.2 beta 2 development environment.

What does iOS 18.2 add?

Extensive AI features, including ChatGPT’s integration with Siri, are highlights of the iOS 18.2 beta. The new Apple Intelligence AI features include:

• Beeld Playground and Beeld Wall brings generative AI image generation and editing tools.
• Genmoji allows users to create emojis using natural language commands or based on photos of real people.
• Writing tools adds AI rewriting, proofreading, and text summarization to various applications.
• ChatGPT integration for Siri. It is intended to make the voice assistant respond to natural language and handle some typing queries.

iOS 18 beta 2 also adds:

• The new camera controls focus the image with one press and take the photo with a second. It attractively evokes an analog camera, but time will tell if it feels clunky on the phone.
• Find Me will now allow users to share the location of a lost item with another person. This will send a link that users can open on any device, not just from Apple.
• A new design for the Mail app adds Gmail-like category tabs.
• Various new settings and UI changes are available to explore.

These AI features match offerings from Apple’s competitors. Still, it will be interesting to see if Siri loyalty attracts an energized new audience to the possibility of customized — or even agentic — AI voice commands.

But in the release notes for iOS 18.2Apple explained that requesting ChatGPT to create images in Writing Tools may not work. Users may also need to reboot their device after downloading the beta for messages to appear in the Messages app.

Upcoming feature can estimate how long it will take for your phone’s battery to charge

9 to 5 Mac was the first to report that iOS 18.2 includes a handy feature called Battery Intelligence, which provides a time estimate for how long it will take to charge your phone’s battery.

As an Apple user, I can imagine this as a nice little reduction of distance anxiety when I’m at an airport for a work trip or out on the town for the day. 9to5Mac has searched the beta code for the loading time estimate, so don’t expect the feature to be available in the beta or the public release. Also, with “intelligence” in the name, I wonder if Apple has considered linking AI to this estimate – but that could just be a matter of branding.

SEE: The UK offers a free AI self-assessment tool for businesses to help manage the risks of AI.

Get a first look at the app transaction options now required in the EU

The iOS 18.2 beta will show Apple’s upcoming changes to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the EU.

This includes options for developers to offer iOS and iPadOS apps in app stores outside of the Apple Store. Developers can create their own app marketplaces, and users can choose which app marketplace and contactless transaction app to set as their default and which to delete. To comply, support for exporting user data in Safari and for web browsers to import user data was also added in iOS 18.2.

Apple is not happy about the changes, say the EU guidelines introduce new possibilities for “malware, fraud and scams, illegal and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats.” The EU say Apple’s ‘walled garden’ ecosystem prevents competition from other app stores, payment methods and creators.

How to download the iOS 18.2 beta

To participate, sign up for free Apple Beta Software Program. Apple Intelligence features require iPhone 15 Pro or later to run generative AI on the device.