Apple Intelligence is available on new iPhone models
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Apple Intelligence's slow rollout has begun, but not everything will be available to everyone as of December 2024. Here's where Apple's generative AI push is, and where it's going next.
The introduction of Apple Intelligence promised a slew of changes that would improve the lives of iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. The intelligent update to the operating systems would bring intelligent features that would allow users to perform tasks more efficiently, create images, and even improve Siri.
However, the actual release of Apple Intelligence has been rather slow so far. After it didn’t appear in the first releases of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users had to wait until the first release to get a taste of the future.
Even then, only a few features were available, with Apple promising more would arrive in future updates.
This is the current state of Apple Intelligence, what’s coming soon, and what’s further on the horizon.
Apple Intelligence Now: Text, US Only
The first actual release to the public outside of the developer betas came with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 on October 28, 2024. That day, all three operating systems finally received the first wave of Apple Intelligence features.
Writing Tools
Heading off this small list was Writing Tools, a feature that could help users refresh the way they write. Unlike what you’d find in a word processor, Writing Tools was available almost anywhere a user would write on their device, even in third-party apps and the browser.
The main function of Writing Tools was to check passages of text for grammar and spelling errors, highlighting issues for the user. This acted as a more powerful version of the spell checker you’d typically find in word processors.
Apple Intelligence Writing Tools
There’s also the option to let Apple Intelligence rewrite your text, doing so in a variety of tones depending on how you want to convey your message.
Apple also introduced summarization in Writing Tools, generating summaries of key points in the text.
Photos
Apple has also begun making Photos more intelligent, allowing users to search for images using natural language. For example, “Cat on pillow looking at camera.”
In addition to making it easier to find specific photos, the update has also helped users make images perfect. The cleanup tool will use generative AI to select unwanted elements in an image and remove them, intelligently filling the space with what would have been in the background.
Photos also benefited from a feature called Memories, which generated movies based on a description that users entered. Photos would then select the best photos and videos based on the prompt, create a storyline with chapters using themes from the photos, and set it to match the music.
Siri
Apple has talked a lot when it came to overhauling Siri’s Apple Intelligence. However, only a few elements were initially provided.
Basically, users could have a more conversational relationship with Siri. When talking to Siri, users could change their request mid-speech or stumble over their words, and Siri had a pretty good chance of still understanding the final request.
New Siri animation
Siri was also loaded with product knowledge, so users could ask her questions as a form of tech support. For example, you could ask her how to set up the new Focus, and she would tell you how to do it.
Siri also benefited from a glow with a new set of animations. When triggered, a multi-colored border surrounded the screen on iOS and iPadOS, clearly alerting users that Siri was listening.
(No) Access
Apple’s rollout has been slow because the company is cautious and wants to get it right. However, it was so slow that only people in the United States could use it.
Users whose devices were set to other regions or languages other than US English couldn’t use the new features at all. While US users had a great opportunity to use them right away, everyone else had to wait for Apple to expand their availability.
Apple Intelligence coming soon: Image Playground, Genmoji
While Apple Intelligence had a relatively modest initial release, the second wave should offer consumers much more. More visual elements of Apple Intelligence will arrive as part of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2, which is currently in developer beta testing ahead of its December release.
Image Playground
Perhaps the biggest visual feature for users is Image Playground, Apple’s image-generating app. Based on a suggestion, Image Playground will create a set of images for the user that can be saved and used in apps.
Image Playground
Users can add more to the suggestion, including sets of pre-selected keywords that can be quickly added. If there’s a photo of a person that the user wants to base an image on, they can use it and Image Playground will do its best to create a caricature.
These images can be created in one of three styles: animation, illustration or sketch.
This isn’t limited to just the Image Playgrounds app, as it also works system-wide. For example, in Notes, Image Playground can generate an image based on key phrases in nearby text, rather than a user-provided prompt.
Genmoji
A similar concept to Image Playground, Genmoji allows users to create their own emoji-like images. Again, this is powered by a user-generated prompt and is designed to create emoji that don’t exist or are customized in some way.
These customizations can, like Image Playground, be based on a person in your Photos library. This allows you to create emoji with that person, such as a mashup of a dancing family member.
These new emoji can be inserted into iMessage like other emoji.
Visual Intelligence
A feature exclusive to the 16th-generation iPhone, visual intelligence is a way for users to ask questions based on what they see. By pressing the new camera button, users can point their iPhone at an object and location to get more information about it.
For example, a restaurant might display ratings and hours of operation. Or when scanning an event flyer, users might be asked if they want to add it to their calendar.
Siri-ChatGPT
As part of the next update, Siri will get even more improvements to how it handles responses. Namely, it can simply pass responses to ChatGPT.
Depending on a user’s query, Siri might offer to route them to ChatGPT for an answer, rather than relying on Siri’s knowledge base. For example, a query about a creative story might be better answered using ChatGPT.
Greater availability and ease of use
While the initial wave of Apple Intelligence was only available in US English, Apple’s beta testing has brought it to new English-speaking regions, including the UK, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Apple has also added API access to Image Playground and Writing Tools, so third-party apps have better access to use and implement these features.
The Future of Apple Intelligence: Personal Context and Expansion
Many of the announced Apple Intelligence features will be available and usable in iOS 18.2, but there are a few more things Apple will be introducing in future updates.
A key highlight is another update to Siri, which addresses something called personal context. This is a revolutionary feature that relies on Siri’s understanding of data from other apps.
By collecting key data points from your contacts, messages, and other areas, Siri can answer far more complex queries than are possible using its knowledge graph alone.
For example, you could ask, “What time does my mother’s plane land?” Siri could use Contacts to identify your mother’s name, then search your emails for mentions of that name and flights, and then use the flight number to look up when she will arrive at the airport.
Apple also needs to do a lot more integration of the Apple Intelligence apps, which will take time.
Current expectations are that the iOS 18.3 beta will be a bug-fix release in early 2025. Siri personal context and other integration changes should arrive by 18.4, around March or April.
As for support for other languages, Apple has already said it is targeting an April 2025 release. This includes support for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese and more.
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