Apple Unveils Initial Preview of Its Anticipated iPhone AI

On Monday, Apple launched the first iteration of its Apple Intelligence software. Available in the developer beta of iOS 18.1, this new AI suite is currently accessible only to registered Apple developers, who pay an annual fee of $99.

Investors are optimistic that the close integration of AI with Apple’s operating system will drive a significant wave of upgrades in the coming years. The software, called Apple Intelligence, was introduced in the latest developer beta of iOS 18.1 and is also available for iPad and Mac. At this stage, it is limited to developers enrolled in Apple’s program.

Users will need to register for a waitlist within Apple’s settings app after updating, to access the service, which involves querying Apple servers for more complex requests. Public availability is expected later this year. However, the 18.1 version suggests Apple Intelligence won’t be released with new iPhone hardware, which is anticipated to launch with iOS 18 in the fall.

Apple Intelligence marks a significant initiative for the company. Investors hope the deep integration of AI with Apple’s OS will trigger a substantial wave of upgrades, particularly as the system will only be compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and newer models. “We expect this iPhone cycle to remain strong for longer as AI feature sets (software and possibly hardware) improve in the 2025 iPhone,” noted Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan in a report on Monday.

What’s Included and What’s Missing

The preview does not encompass all the features Apple showcased at its annual developers conference in June. The current preview includes:

• A new Siri look that makes the phone’s edges glow
• Enhanced Siri functionality, such as understanding commands even if the speaker stumbles
• Siri’s ability to answer troubleshooting questions about Apple products
• Improved photo search and movie creation
• AI-generated summaries for Mail, Messages, and voicemail transcriptions
• Writing Tools, Apple’s text-generation service

However, some features are not yet included in the preview, although Apple plans to roll them out over the next year. These features are:

• Image generation
• Emoji generation
• Automated photo clean-up
• Additional Siri improvements, including the use of personal information and the ability to take actions within apps
• Integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT