Apple is rolling out a free software update that will introduce the first dose of artificial intelligence (AI) to its iPhone 16 lineup as the trendsetting company tries to catch up with the latest technological innovation.
Monday’s update to the iOS 18 operating system comes more than a month after four iPhone 16 models equipped with a special computer chip required for AI functions went on sale. Last year’s premium models, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, also have a processor that will enable AI technology after a software update is installed.
The latest versions of Apple’s iPad and Mac computers can also be updated with the software.
But countries outside the US will not receive the AI software for their iPhones until next year at the earliest, a date yet to be determined.
In its blog post, Apple said that “for the foreseeable future, Apple Intelligence will not be available in any EU country”.
Apple emphasized that this is due to the complications the company will face under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
For the past five weeks, Apple has been testing AI software among iPhone owners who signed up to help the company finalize the technology.
What can Apple’s AI do?
The injection of AI is expected to transform the often clumsy virtual assistant Siri into a more conversational, versatile, and vibrant companion, whose presence will be indicated by a light glowing on the iPhone screen while processing requests.
While Apple promises that Siri will be able to perform more tasks and be less prone to confusion, it will not be able to interact with other apps installed on the iPhone until the next software update is released, the date of which has not yet been determined.
Other AI features included in this update will perform various writing and proofreading tasks, summarize the content of emails and other documents. AI will also provide a variety of editing tools to change the appearance of photos and make it easier to find old photos.
Other AI capabilities coming in future software updates include the ability to create customized emojis on the fly or create other fancy images on demand. Apple also plans to eventually allow its AI package to receive assistance from OpenAI’s ChatGPT when users want it to.
Most of the AI features Apple unveiled on Monday are already available on Android smartphones that Samsung and Google released earlier this year.
The first company worth $4 trillion?
To differentiate its approach from the early leaders in AI, the iPhone’s suite of new technologies is being marketed as “Apple Intelligence.”
Since most iPhones currently in use around the world do not have the computer chip required for Apple’s AI, the technology is expected to drive huge demand for new models during the holiday season and into next year.
This is the main reason why Apple’s share price soared by 18% after the California-based company unveiled its AI strategy at a conference in early June.
This has increased Apple’s market value by about $500 billion (€460 billion), bringing it closer to becoming the first American company worth $4 trillion (€3.6 trillion).
Apple will give investors a first look at how the iPhone 16 is selling on Thursday when the company releases its quarterly financial information for July-September, a period that includes the first few days the new models were on sale.
According to an assessment of the smartphone market for the last quarter by research company International Data Corp, demand for high-end iPhone 15 models has increased as prices have fallen and the excitement around Apple’s entry into the artificial intelligence market has intensified.
According to IDC, in July-September, Apple’s iPhone shipments increased by 3.5 percent year-on-year to 56 million worldwide, second only to Samsung.
The question now is whether Apple’s gradual release of more AI will force owners of older iPhones to splurge on new models during the holidays, “protecting their purchases for the long term,” said IDC analyst Nabila Popal.
Also on Monday, Apple announced that with a software update, some AirPods wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids.
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