By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE
Published: 05:11 EST, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 05:11 EST, 12 December 2024
It's been a torturous wait for millions of eager Apple fans, but the firm's new operating system, iOS 18.2, is finally here.
Released on Wednesday, iOS 18.2 finally brings Apple Intelligence – Apple's fancy suite of AI features – to iPhones in the UK following an October release in the US.
Apple Intelligence includes helpful features like AI-generated emoji, image editing and a ChatGPT-powered version of smart assistant Siri.
However, several early users have taken to X (Twitter) to complain that the update is draining their battery life.
One user said: 'I downloaded 18.2 and it really killed my battery I had 70% now down to 34% usually my phone doesn’t drain this fast.'
Someone then replied: 'Same here bro. My Plus has an amazing battery life but still it drains over 25% battery overnight after 18.2.
'As an iPhone user since 2011 I really switch to Android next time. At this point, there is no reason to be on iOS. Lack of innovation, killing a year old device.'
Here's what to do if your device is affected by 'battery drain'.
iOS 18.2 finally brings Apple Intelligence to the UK - but the update appears to be draining people's phone batteries (file photo)
Several early users have taken to X ( Twitter ) to complain that the iOS 18.2 update is draining their battery life
'Apple is not slapping anymore': Apple releases major iOS versions (e.g. iOS 18) in September with additional updates following throughout the year (e.g. iOS 18.2)
Battery drain is when a phone uses up more power than it usually would, meaning the device has to be charged more often or even kept plugged in.
The issue tends to happen after an iOS update because of the intensive recalibration tasks that require extra power.
Another X user said: 'iOS 18.1.1 decimated the battery life of my iPhone15 Pro. Installed 18.2 today, and now it literally drains faster than it charges while it lays unused on my desk. WTH @apple?'
A fourth person posted: 'Terrible battery drain on ios 18.2 after being unbelievably good on 18.1.'
A fifth said: 'iOS 18 have been draining battery ever since launch and you haven’t solved that even in iOS 18.2. Apple is not slapping anymore.'
However, other users seemed to have been unaffected, with one posting: 'iOS 18.2 update has been pretty good so far. Solid battery life!'
If you're one of those to have noticed battery drain after updating, the first thing to do is be patient because the change should only be temporary.
Sometimes it can take hours and even days for software changes to finalise, which means that battery health can plummet or fluctuate.
One user said: 'I downloaded 18.2 and it really killed my battery I had 70% now down to 34% usually my phone doesn’t drain this fast'
This user criticised Apple for 'lack of innovation' and threatened to switch to an Android phone
'Battery drain' is when a phone uses up more power than it usually would, meaning the device has to be charged more often or even kept plugged in
What devices will get Apple Intelligence?
iPhones
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro
iPads
iPad Pro (M1 and later)
iPad Air (M1 and later)
Macs
MacBook Air (M1 and later)
MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
iMac (M1 and later)
Mac mini (M1 and later)
Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
Mac Pro (M2 Ultra)
'If you notice that your battery life has decreased after updating your iPhone, wait a few days and then check again,' Apple says.
'Even though you can use your iPhone immediately after an update, certain tasks related to the update continue in the background and might affect battery life and thermal performance.'
However, if issues last for longer, it may be a good idea to check your phone battery's maximum capacity, located in the Battery tab in Settings.
An iPhone's capacity to hold charge decreases as the battery chemically ages, which may result in fewer hours of usage and worse performance between charges.
If your battery needs replacing, an 'important battery message' will pop up indicating that its health has significantly degraded.
Users should also check if Wi-Fi Assist setting is switched on, which keeps devices connected to the internet when the Wi-Fi connection is poor but can drain battery too.
If you're yet to get iOS 18.2 – and aren't deterred by the prospect of battery drain – your iPhone should alert you that the new update is available.
iPhone users can download iOS 18.2 by going to the Settings app, clicking 'General' and then 'Software Updates' before following on-screen instructions.
Apple's new iPhone 16 comes in much more pastel and vibrant colors than previous models
iOS 18.2 is available on iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, as well as iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and the new iPhone 16, plus the iPhone SE 2 and 3 and some iPads and Mac computers.
However, only the very latest iPhones get Apple Intelligence on iOS 18.2 because of the special processing power required.
Apple Intelligence needs an up-to-date AI chip in a device to run – so the A17 Pro (in iPhones) or the M1 or later (in iPads and Macs).
iPhones that get Apple Intelligence are the full iPhone 16 series and the two top-end iPhone 15 models – iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 16, starting at $799/£799, comes in two display sizes – 6.1 inches, and 6.7 inches for the Plus model (which costs £899/$899).
Meanwhile the two most expensive options – the Pro and Pro Max – respectively have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays and cost £999/$999 and £1,199/$1,199.
Apple Intelligence: The best features
Apple Intelligence is essentially a snazzy brand name for Apple's new-found focus on AI, triggered by the huge success of the ChatGPT.
Here's a look at some of the best features of Apple Intelligence, which comes to the UK via the new iOS 18.2 operating system.
ChatGPT-Siri integration
Surely the biggest part of Apple Intelligence is the integration of OpenAI's hugely popular chatbot ChatGPT with Siri, Apple's in-built virtual assistant.
With better 'language-understanding capabilities' enabled by ChatGPT, Siri will help you across multiple apps and 'accelerate everyday tasks', Apple said.
You'll be able to press and hold the side button to activate Siri as normal, but with ChatGPT behind it Siri will be able to 'answer thousands of questions about how to do something' that it couldn't before.
iOS 18 users will be asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer
For example, you could say, 'Play that podcast that Jamie recommended' and Siri will locate and play the episode, without the user having to remember whether it was mentioned in a text or an email.
Or you could ask, 'When is mum's flight landing?' and Siri will find the flight details and cross-reference them with real-time flight tracking to give an arrival time.
AI-generated emoji
If you can never quite find the emoji you're looking for during chat conversations, Apple has the answer.
One of the more fun parts of Apple Intelligence is AI-generated emoji, which Apple has called 'Genmoji' (a mix of 'generated' and 'emoji').
In the Messages app, you can type a short description of the emoji you want – such as 'smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers' or 'squirrel DJ'.
AI-generated emoji: In the Messages app, users can type a short description (e.g. 'smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers') to get a unique emoji to send to someone
Similar to AI tools that just need a few words to create weird artworks, from that single prompt Genmoji returns an AI-generated approximation of what you had in mind.
If you don't like what the AI has made for you, there are a few back-up options for you to choose from.
Clean Up
Apple's Clean Up tool for the Photos app makes ultra-clean edits to photos – without any telltale signs that the snap has been tampered with in any way.
It lets users remove 'distracting objects' from the background of a photo – for example a photobomber in the background of a family snap.
Clean Up is very similar to Google's photo-editing technology 'Magic Eraser' for its Pixel phones, heavily promoted in Google adverts in recent years.
The new Clean Up tool in Apple's Photos app can identify and remove 'distracting objects' in the background of a photo
But the technology has been described by some as 'Orwellian' as it can distort reality and 'create a false memory'.
Referring to Clean Up, one commenter said it 'can be misused' because it 'makes deleting evidence easy'.
Image Playground
AI also powers a new image-generating tool called 'Image Playground', which is available on multiple apps, including Messages and Pages.
With Image Playground, users can create images in a few seconds, choosing from three styles – 'animation', 'illustration' and 'sketch'.
Image Playground allows users to create fun images in seconds, choosing from three styles - Animation, Illustration and Sketch
A promo image appears to show a photo of a person being turned into a video game-style 3D avatar wearing a spacesuit in the 'animation' setting.
Rather like Genmoji, this 'exciting' image creation tool will help iPhone owners 'communicate and express themselves in new ways', the company says.
Movie Memories
The vast media storage capabilities of an iPhone means its always tempting to look back through your photos and video for a burst of nostalgia.
Recognizing this, Apple has come up with 'Movie Memories', an AI tool that creates the perfect home movie to watch on your device.
By typing a short description – for example 'last summer in our garden' – the AI can search your media library and and arrange photos and clips into a movie 'with its own narrative arc'.
Movie Memories picks out the best photos and videos based on a user’s description and arranges it all into a movie with its own narrative arc
And as no movie is quite as good without a bit of music, you'll get song suggestions from Apple Music to match the memory.
Again, Apple stresses the privacy aspect of using an AI to search through your private life.
'As with all Apple Intelligence features, user photos and videos are kept private on device and are not shared with Apple or anyone else,' it says.
AI writing tools
Using AI to make your writing extra concise is not a new thing – for example Microsoft's Copilot AI is creating first drafts and suggesting edits in Word.
But now Apple is jumping on the bandwagon with its own AI-powered writing tools.
The tech will rewrite, proofread and summarize text on multiple apps, including Mail, Notes and Pages, as well as some third-party apps.
'Whether tidying up class notes, ensuring a blog post reads just right, or making sure an email is perfectly crafted, Writing Tools help users feel more confident in their writing,' the firm says.