Apple boss issues update on major free iPhone upgrade to Siri – and fans may have to wait a little longer

APPLE CEO Tim Cook has issued an update on a major free iPhone upgrade to Siri.

The business tycoon has said fans may have to wait a little longer than expected for a string of new Apple Intelligence features demoed for iOS 18.

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The exciting new features were first seen at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference  in June 2024 but are yet to be rolled out to devices.

We do know that ChatGPT integration is arriving before the end of 2025, reports Tech Radar.

As MacRumors reports, on a recent earnings call Apple Cook said that ChatGPT will be built into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia “by the end of the calendar year”.

Tech Radar is expecting iOS 18 to make its way to iPhones sometime in September.

When the feature does go live customers will get the option to ask Siri to refer certain questions to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT will also be part of the writing assistance feature that can help with composing text messages, emails, and more.

Those with the upgrade will also be able to generate images in a variety of styles, Apple says, all powered by the latest GPT-4o model.

Access to ChatGPT will be free, and customers won’t even need to register an account with OpenAI – though if they’re a paying ChatGPT Plus member, they will be able to connect your account to get at additional paid-for features.

When ChatGPT integration was first introduced, Apple did say the feature would be live by the end of the year meaning this is confirmation that the original timetable is still on track.

Rumours have spread that certain Apple Intelligence features could be delayed beyond the launch of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18.

A limited number of Apple Intelligence features are already available in the developer beta of iOS 18.1, but it’s not suitable for everyday use yet.

It’s likely more information about Apple Intelligence and the date of its arrival will be shared at the iPhone 16 launch event, which should be in September.

The Apple Watch 10 and the finished iOS 18 is expected to be unveiled at the same time.

It comes as a new iPhone 16 leak has emerged purporting to reveal five colours for this year’s model.

But Apple fans have slammed the possible designs, saying they look like the “colours used in public toilets”.

And colour choice isn’t the only part internet users aren’t happy about.

Some criticised the layout of the camera too.

“Those colors are hideous,” one Reddit user commented.

“The blue and green looks horrible,” another wrote.