Now is the best time for Apple's epic AI fail: the flak is far from fatal

Some get a real big kick out of situations in which ginormous corporations fail – and today, it's Apple's turn to be the laughingstock to these folks' greatest pleasure.

Apple is once again the largest company by market cap in the world, so the laughs are almost audible through the screen.

I'm not talking about the fact that Apple is about the last major phone maker that still hasn't come up with a foldable handset, nor that the latest iPhone 16 is equipped with a 60Hz refresh rate screen (meanwhile, Google's cheapest Pixel 9a offers 120Hz).

I'm talking about Apple's AI fiasco, as some put it: the general consensus is that Cupertino is way (wa-a-a-y) behind its rivals when it comes to artificial intelligence features on a phone.

But the real question we have to ask ourselves is as follows: even if that's true and Apple is lagging, is Apple really suffering?

Is Apple in the rear?

Yes, and that's not some big revelation. Tim Cook and co. have been lagging behind for quite some time now, and Samsung is the company that many say is at the forefront of mobile AI experience.

Since unveiling Apple Intelligence last year, the company has struggled to deliver compelling AI features, repeatedly delaying key upgrades while promoting its latest iPhones as AI-centric. Despite flashy marketing, the technology has failed to impress customers.

The company’s marketing, software engineering, and AI teams have all played a role in the missteps, while CEO Tim Cook ultimately approved the premature launch of an underdeveloped platform.

Apple's main rival – Samsung – is not heavy on the in-house AI experience and, instead, relies on Google and (in particular) Google's Gemini AI model for the Galaxy phones.

Last year's flagship by Samsung, the Galaxy S24, was presented as an "AI smartphone" and that speaks volumes about the company's confidence and belief in the two-letter acronym.

Far East companies are also AI-obsessed; Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Huawei, Honor are doing their part:

• Oppo details AI pivot that brings innovative features to all phones
• Honor teases a new Alpha Plan for AI dominance

Meanwhile, Apple is struggling to get its AI act together. Some days ago, we learned that the AI-boosted "Personal Siri" is now delayed indefinitely, and that is apparently making insiders feel embarrassed.

Yes, Siri can execute basic functions like setting timers, but it's not impressing anyone when it comes to accessing on-screen content, emails, texts, and apps.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly cautioned that the hype surrounding Apple Intelligence was greatly exaggerated. Even last year, he argued that expectations were unrealistic, and now, his forecasts seem to be proving accurate.

Apple should have handled the Siri mess more directly – but instead, a press statement was what fans got. That doesn't look like being down to earth and sincere about things, right?

All in all, promises were made that the iPhone 16 was going to be AI-focused back at the time of its grand unveiling. This was in 2024. Right now, it doesn't seem like the major AI overhaul is going to happen anytime soon, not until 2026 is here. And who knows if another delay pushes things to 2027… or 2028? Yep, Apple's AI assemblage is late.

So what?

Come on, admit it

Do you use many AI features on your phone? Yes? Well then, congratulations – you're among the few who do.

Yes, certain AI features are impressive (although far from perfect) – like the ability to summarize long articles when in a rush, removing objects from a photo (this one often produces extremely messy results, so don't rely too much on it), or having some words translated on the go in a foreign exotic country via some Translator magic.

But do yourself a little experiment and conduct a mini-survey among friends and relatives. Ask them a couple of simple questions:



Be sure to highlight that you're not asking them if they're accessing the ChatGPT app (or website), nor if their phone has any sort of AI capabilities. We're talking about built-in smartphone AI features, not third-party platforms.

Think about it: the first iPhone was made official in 2007; it was nothing like a phone from, say, five years ago (2002). Well, (some) 2025 phones are certainly better than (some) 2020 phones, but is the difference as dramatic as the one with the first iPhone? Not a million years.

Yes, today's phone is incrementally better and faster than yesterday's. That's where AI kicks in.

I'm not against AI features per se, but the cynic in me can see how phone manufacturers are pushing the AI agenda simply to hide the fact that – give or take – phones have plateaued. The brave, jaw-dropping innovations and advancements from 20–30 years ago are now nowhere to be seen (although in certain areas, like phone cameras, things are truly outstanding).

Caught in the crossfire

It's true that Apple hasn't taken the time to develop its artificial intelligence features for the iPhone, but that's not the only reason why the company gets flak from left and right.

It's just that Apple is too big to get ignored.

When you're big, people expect you to be big on all fronts and not skimp on the current hype – and today, everybody is talking about AI. That's why Apple can get away with a 60Hz refresh rate screen on its latest iPhone, but is unable to handle the AI-related charges and accusations.

In a time when everybody is doing AI, Apple finds itself in the most peculiar predicament: people are not that crazy about AI features, but the iPhone must have AI features, otherwise… "Apple is lagging behind!"



Is Apple waiting for the AI typhoon to pass by? Maybe that's why Apple is not heavy on the AI idea and is not investing heavily in artificial intelligence.

Will the AI hype be over anytime soon? I truly don't know – I can make both for and against arguments: but I'm positive that things like premium designs, long-lasting batteries, fast and smooth processors, capable cameras, and bright screens are far more important to most phone users out there – much more than AI tricks (currently).

At the end of the day, the only real damage for Apple is the way they handled stuff: they shouldn't have promised stuff in 2024 that's going to arrive in 2026 (at the earliest).

Strangely enough, all this AI hype got me thinking about a phenomenon from 25–30 years ago, called "the dotcom bubble". Look it up, real funny stuff.