Apple launches the iPhone into the AI era with free software update
Apple is releasing a free software update that will inject the first dose of artificial intelligence into its iPhone 16 range, as the trendsetting company tries to catch up the latest technology craze.
Monday’s upgrade to the iOS 18 operating system arrives more than a month after four iPhone 16 models were fitted with the special computer chip needed to power its AI features went on sale at prices ranging from $800 to $1,200. Last year’s premium models – the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – also feature a processor that will enable AI technology after the software update is installed.
Recent versions of Apple’s iPad and Mac computers can also be updated with the software.
Countries outside the US won’t get the AI software for their iPhones until next year at a date yet to be determined. Apple spent the past five weeks testing the AI software among an audience of iPhone owners who signed up to help the company refine the technology.
The AI infusion should transform Apple’s often clumsy virtual assistant Siri into a more conversational, versatile and colorful companion whose presence will be indicated by a glowing light that encircles the iPhone’s screen as requests are handled.
While Apple promises that Siri will be able to perform more tasks and be less likely to get confused, it won’t be able to communicate with other apps installed on the iPhone until a new software update rolls out at an as yet unknown date.
Other AI features in this software update will handle a variety of writing and proofreading tasks and summarize the content of emails and other documents. The AI will also offer a variety of editing tools to change the look of photos and make it easier to find old photos.
Other AI tricks coming in future software updates include the ability to create custom emojis on the fly or conjure up other imaginative images on demand. Apple also plans to eventually enable its AI suite to get a helping hand from OpenAI’s ChatGPT when users want it.
Most of the AI features that Apple introduced on Monday are already available on Android smartphones Samsung And Googling released earlier this year.
In an effort to differentiate its approach from the early leaders in AI, the iPhone’s new technology suite is being marketed as “Apple Intelligence.” Apple also promises that its AI features will much better protect the privacy of iPhone owners by running the technology on the device or placing it in a fortress-like data center when some requests need to be processed remotely.
Since most iPhones currently in use around the world do not have the computer chip needed for Apple’s AI, the technology is expected to drive a surge in demand for the new models this holiday season and into next year. That’s the main reason Apple’s stock price is up 18% since Cupertino, California, previewed its AI strategy during a conference in early June. The run-up has boosted Apple’s market value by about $500 billion, bringing it closer to becoming the first U.S. company valued at $4 trillion.
Apple will give investors the first glimpse of how the iPhone 16 is faring on Thursday, when the company releases quarterly financials for the July-September quarter – a period that includes the first few days the new models were on sale.
Demand for the higher-end iPhone 15 models rose as prices fell and excitement surrounding Apple’s entry into the AI market increased, according to an assessment of the smartphone market during the most recent quarter by research firm International Data Corp.
The number of Apple iPhones sold in the July-September period increased by 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year, to 56 million worldwide, behind Samsung. according to IDC. The question now is whether Apple’s gradual introduction of more AI will ensure that owners of older iPhones will spend their money on the new models this holiday season, “so that their purchases are future-proofed in the long run,” according to IDC analyst Nabila Popal.