Apple today introduced the iPad mini 7 with a faster A17 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence support, Apple Pencil Pro support, and a handful of other changes. Apple's press release for the device also hints at iOS 18.1's release timing.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said Apple aimed to release iOS 18.1 on Monday, October 28, and the press release seems to support that timeframe.
Specifically, Apple said the iPad mini 7 launches on Wednesday, October 23, and it added that the first Apple Intelligence features will be available on the device this month "through a free software update with iPadOS 18.1." This wording suggests that the earliest day that iPadOS 18.1 will be released is Thursday, October 24, but it seems much more likely that the update will be made available the week of October 28.
Last month, a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing upcoming iOS versions before they are released suggested that initial iPad mini 7 units will come with a special build of iPadOS 18.0 preinstalled. This further supports the claim that iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 will not be released until the week of October 28.
In addition to the new iPad mini, Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 15 Pro models, any iPhone 16 model, and all Macs and iPads with the M1 chip or newer. The first features in the suite include writing tools, notification summaries, a few Siri enhancements, a tool for quickly removing unwanted objects from the background of a photo, and more.
Apple Intelligence is initially available in U.S. English only, with support for more languages to follow in December and into next year.
