At the end of last month, it became known that Apple Intelligence AI-based features would be available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Sequoia only in October this year. Now, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has reported that the delay in AI features will not prevent Apple from releasing the new iPhone 16 in September.

Last week, Apple confirmed that the rollout of AI features on the iPhone would begin with the release of iOS 18.1. After this, mentions of Apple Intelligence disappeared from the description of iOS 18, which will be released in September. It is expected that the AI features will play a significant role in increasing the attractiveness of the iPhone 16 for buyers.

Interestingly, in the past, Apple has postponed the launch of new iPhones due to software not being ready for mass deployment. Mark Gurman’s report mentions an instance when the iPhone 4S was introduced to the public in October because the new Siri and iCloud features were not ready for the traditional June release. Although more than a decade has passed since then, Apple could have postponed the launch of new iPhones again to coincide with the AI features' availability.

“For the past few years, Apple has typically released iPhones in September. Now, Apple is facing a similar issue. Apple Intelligence, a key feature of the iPhone 16, will not be ready until October. However, this time Apple has taken a different approach and will not delay the release of new smartphones until the services are ready. I was told that the iPhone launch will occur around the same time as last year. A quick glance at the calendar suggests September 10 as a likely date. To start using Apple Intelligence, users will need to update the software on their new smartphones to iOS 18.1 in October,” Gurman said in his report.