Apple releases first preview of its long-awaited iPhone AI
Apple on Monday released the first version of Apple Intelligence.
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Apple Intelligence introduced during Apple's WWDC 2024 in Cupertino, California, on June 10, 2024.
Source: Apple Inc.
Apple on Monday released the first version of Apple Intelligence, its suite of artificial intelligence features that will improve Siri, automatically generate emails and images and sort notifications.
The new software called Apple Intelligence was released in the developer beta of iOS 18.1. It is also available in similar releases for iPad and Mac. It is currently available for developers to test.
In addition, users will have to register for a waitlist inside Apple's settings app after updating to gain access to the service, which involves pinging Apple servers for more complicated requests.
Later this year, it will be released to the public, but the 18.1 version number suggests Apple Intelligence will not be released alongside new iPhone hardware, which is expected to be launched running iOS 18 in the fall.
Apple Intelligence is an important initiative for Apple. Investors hope the tight integration of AI with Apple's operating system can spur a big wave of upgrades in the coming years, especially since the system will only work on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and newer.
"We expect this iPhone cycle to remain strong for longer as AI feature sets (software and possibly hardware) improve in the 2025 iPhone," Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a note Monday.
What's in and what's not
The preview does not include everything in Apple Intelligence the company demoed at its annual developers conference in June.
The preview released on Monday includes:
A new Siri look that makes the edge of the phone glowOther Siri improvements, such as the ability to understand commands when the speaker stumbles over their wordsSiri can now answer troubleshooting questions about Apple productsBetter photos search and movie creationAI-generated summaries for Mail, Messages, voicemail transcriptionsWriting Tools, Apple's text-generation serviceThese features are not in the AI preview yet, although Apple says they will be rolled out over the next year:
Image generationEmoji generationAutomated photos clean upOther Siri improvements, including its ability to use your personal information, and the ability to take actions inside appsOpenAI ChatGPT integrationCorrection: Apple Intelligence is for now available for developers to test. An earlier version misstated the details of its availability.
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