Apple grants my wish, adds cool iPhone 16 feature to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
Yesterday, I told you that even though the newly announced iPhone 16e didn't have the Camera Control button, it still offered the visual intelligence feature found as part of the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 series. As noted on Wednesday, I admit to being a little jealous that the iPhone 16 line had visual intelligence which is not available on my iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The visual intelligence feature allows you to find out more about places near you by pointing your camera at a business, or restaurant, and following the directions on the screen to find out the operating hours of a particular store or see the menu of an eatery you're interested in. With visual intelligence, you can translate text into a different language, summarize text to save time, or have the text read out loud.
From a poster, you can call a phone number listed on the sign, add an event to your calendar, start emails, or visit the website listed on the sign. You can also identify plants, animals, and other objects and have a Google Search conducted for an object or item.
My iPhone 15 Pro Max will soon be able to access the visual intelligence feature via the phone's Action Button. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Yeah, I get it. It's just another way for Google to collect Search ad revenue and many of you took the time to chide me for wanting visual intelligence on my iPhone 15 Pro Max since it is no different than Circle to Search or Google Lens. But I do have an excuse. I'm a phone nerd and I want my iPhone 15 Pro Max to do everything that the iPhone 16 Pro Max can without shelling out for the more expensive model.
I didn't expect Apple to add the Camera Control button to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but when it revealed that it added visual intelligence to the iPhone 16e via the Action Button, I wrote that this is the way Apple could add the feature to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Well, I guess Tim Cook was reading my story from Wednesday because this morning Apple representatives told Jon Gruber of Daring Fireball that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be getting visual intelligence the same way it is coming to the iPhone 16e-via the Action Button.
The Action Button is the top button found on the left side of the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 series (including the iPhone 16e). The user can select one of a number of options that can be activated with a long-press of the Action Button. Options include:
- Silent Mode.
- Focus.
- Camera.
- Flashlight.
- Voice Memo.
- Magnifier.
- Translate.
- Accessibility.
- Shortcut.
- Visual Intelligence (coming soon).
- No Action.
Visual intelligence could be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as soon as iOS 18.4 is released, possibly as soon as April. The iOS 18.4 beta might be just weeks away from being available which would allow me to add the cool visual intelligence feature to my iPhone 15 Pro Max very soon. Thanks, Tim!
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