ICYMI: the week's 6 biggest tech stories from the disappointing iOS 18 launch to ChatGPT messaging first being 'fixed'

Here's your firmware update for September 21, 2024

News By Hamish HectorContributions from Timothy Coleman, Mark Wilson, Jacob Krol published 21 September 2024

This week we published all of our reviews of the new Apple tech so you can find out precisely what we think of it, were disappointed by the Apple Intelligence-less iOS 18 launch, and downloaded 40 free games for our Steam Deck through our Amazon Prime membership.

All of that and more is covered in our ICYMI round-up below.

Next week you can look forward to Meta Connect 2024 which we expect will be full of XR (a catchall for VR, AR and MR) and AI goodies. We'll be sure to catch you up to speed on everything you need to know from the event.

6. iOS 18 launched without Apple Intelligence

With the arrival of this year’s new iPhones, we’ve also got a new version of iOS to play around with – iOS 18. It’s coming to every iPhone launched after the iPhone XS – including the 2nd-gen SE – and introduces several new features.

There’s improved home screen customization, so you can finally move apps around to reveal more of your wallpaper. Messages has been overhauled to add text effects and RCS support, and smaller changes like your Photos app and the Control Center are getting a redesign.

Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence – iOS 18’s headline tool – isn’t quite here yet. It’ll start to roll out with US English support in update 18.1 in October. Still, other English variants aren’t coming until December, and major tools like Genmoji, Image Playground, and Siri’s on-screen awareness aren't expected to arrive until much later in iOS 18’s lifespan. A scattered introduction that has certainly put a dampener on things.

• Read more: The Apple Intelligence launch is a mess

5. We reviewed the new Apple tech

It’s Apple availability week, and TechRadar is the place to be for our in-depth reviews, encompassing our full thoughts on all the kits from the Cupertino-based company. Starting off, our Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff handled the iPhone 16 Pro Max and called it a “beautiful, intelligent beast.” Read his full review to learn more about the impact of a bigger screen – 6.5 inches to 6.7 inches – a faster processor and new cameras that make a difference.

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