The messy Apple Intelligence rollout
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
iOS 18 is coming next month, and aside from the usual roster of app redesigns, additional customization and functionality features, the most interesting new feature is Apple fully investing into AI. The funny thing here is that AI stands for both Apple Intelligence and artificial intelligence, which was surely the intended purpose.
And Apple Intelligence is quite the enormous update in terms of scope. It surely goes above and beyond a regular iOS update, as so much about the underlying foundation of iOS is about to change. With iOS 18, we will be getting a totally overhauled Siri supercharged by the powers of Open AI's ChatGPT and capable of executing complex commands, as well as smart Writing Tools, generative images and emoji, email and notification summary, and so much more.
One issue only: the release of Apple Intelligence is a total mess.
Issue #1: What's coming when, exactly?
First of all, it's a staggered release, so not all feature will launch at the same time. In fact, it will likely take at least half a year for all the Apple Intelligence features to get to all eligible devices.
First up, no Apple Intelligence features will actually come with iOS 18. Most of these will arrive with iOS 18.1, which is currently running as a beta on a parallel channel alongside iOS 18. We don't have a release date for iOS 18.1, but we probably wouldn't have to wait too long for it, so an October release is likely a good guess.
Here's what's possibly coming as part of the iOS 18.1. We say possibly, as these features are currently available in the beta for users in the US, but there's always the possibility that Apple could pull the plug on one or more and reintroduce it at a later date in another minor iOS 18 build:
- Writing tools - smart suggestions in the keyboard while typing
- Visually redesigned Siri (NOT next-gen Siri) with ability to maintain context from one request to the next, better understanding when you stumble over your words, and deeper knowledge of Apple’s various products
- Type to Siri by double tapping the home bar at the bottom
- New Mail features including smart reply, email summaries, and priority messages
- New AI focus mode Reduce Interruptions
- Apple voice notes with summary in Notes
- Safari summary in reader mode and Reduce Interruptions
- Call recording and transcription to Apple Notes
- Natural language search in Photos
What's possibly not coming in iOS 18 or iOS 18.1 is the visually redesigned Mail app, Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand, Clean Up and custom Memory Movies in the Photos app. These could be either released in iOS 18.2 or added to the iOS 18.1 beta down the line, we don't really know for sure.
Issue #2: Third-party partners
Oh, and lest we forget the deep ChatGPT 4o integration, which is coming by… when exactly?
We don't know for sure, all we know is that it will "arrive later this year". Of course, an exact release date isn't how things work, but a bit more clarity on whether we should expect the ChatGPT integration to take place with a regular iOS update or will be enabled server-side with the flip of a switch would have made things a bit more clear.
Speaking of third-party AI partnerships, what about Google? We heard that Apple could potentially announce a partnership with Google that will bring the power of its Gemini AI to the iPhone as an alternative to ChatGPT. Okay, more choice, more power to us, but when will we know for certain? It doesn't take a genius to spot that the iPhone 16 announcement event could also act as the perfect venue to announce Apple's AI partnership with Google.
And then again, when and if that happens, how long will iOS users have to wait before Gemini arrives as an alternative to OpenAI's ChatGPT? Another unknown.
Issue #3: What iPhones will be getting Apple Intelligence
Secondly, there's the eligibility issue. It's understandable that most of the on-device features of Apple Intelligence will be locked to only the most powerful iPhones at the moment, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
We don't even know if all iPhone 16 models will support Apple Intelligence. We love to think that this would be the case, but until Tim Cook appears on stage in September, it's still uncertain if all new upcoming models will get access to those AI features.
Could it be that only the Pro models will get Apple Intelligence? Hopefully not, but Apple hasn't made it any less clear, so rumors will be running rampant until the iPhone 16 announcement.
Issue #4: Most European countries are left out for now
Third, and quite importantly, we have the soft-regional lock imposed by Apple on itself in order to thwart any potential hand-slapping from the EU's Digital Markets Act antitrust law. Currently, it's impossible to access Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone if you're in an EU country. Sure, there are some ways to circumvent those, but they are not sustainable in the long run and might not be proper for daily driver devices.
Interestingly, this lock doesn't apply to the Mac lineup: as soon as you switch to English language, set your device region to the USA, and change Siri's language to US English, Apple Intelligence arrives straight on your Apple computer.
Will Apple talk its way out of a potential hefty fine imposed from the EU? Surely, we are hopeful that the tech giants and the EU will reach an agreement which will bring the AI-related features to European iPhone users.
Because, at this moment, the DMA act is not only anti-trust, but also anti-consumer as well, scaring companies away from bringing their new software features and treating European users like second-hand citizens of the digital and high-tech world.
Issue #5: Will Apple Intelligence be free and only require you to have an eligible iPhone and live in a supported region?
Well, that's another million dollar question.
Sure, a simple search will quickly reveal that Apple's own website says that "Apple Intelligence is free for users". Okay, alright, that's good to hear.
But what if Apple decides to launch an Apple Intelligence+ tier of exclusive AI features that will be available for a monthly fee, ideally bundled up with the Apple One bundle of subscriptions?
Well, that's entirely possible and likely the end goal for Apple, whose subscription services are currently making Apple billions ($24.21 billion in the past fiscal quarter alone).
Surely, until we get our fair share of Apple Intelligence features up and running, probably before next summer, Apple will refrain from launching a paid Apple Intelligence feature. One theory that this writer has it that it will take a couple of years before Apple Intelligence is mature enough to boast a paid tier with a host of exclusive artificial intelligence features.
I want my Apple Intelligence and I want it now!
Sure, me and you both! But it doesn't work that way in the real world.
Of course, we are past the stage where we require what we can't have like spoiled children. Apple Intelligence is a major undertaking that goes beyond your run-of-the-mill iOS update. so it's natural for things to be a bit messy. After all, it's not everyday that Apple launches such major revamps to the overall iOS experience.
Still, even though that's wholeheartedly true, I feel that Apple could have been just an extra more clear as what to expect, when, where, and on what devices.
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