iPhone 16 AI functions coming soon via software update
At the Glowtime event, Apple not only unveiled its new iPhone 16, but also showed the Apple Intelligence features that will be available to owners of the new smartphone. It becomes clear that Apple cannot quite keep a promise.
Apple Intelligence at the heart of the iPhone 16
The iPhone 16 “raises the bar for what an iPhone can do.” This is how Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the AI functions that come with the new smartphone from Cupertino. Apple Intelligence is deeply integrated into the iPhone 16.
According to Apple, completely new things are possible with the new A18 chip. The chip has a neural engine with 16 cores. It also has 17 percent more bandwidth for data transfer. This gives the phone faster access to the AI models. Apple Intelligence, A18 chip and more: The Apple iPhone 16 in video
But not everything is local on the devices
These are several multimodal models that are specifically tailored to the new hardware and perform different functions. However, they do not work completely locally, as Apple promised at the very beginning. As with other providers, data is sent to the cloud while the AI is in use. Apple calls this “Private Cloud Compute”.
However, the data is well protected, they assure. Because it should never be saved or shared with Apple. In addition, it is only used to complete the tasks that the user wants to see completed. Which models send the data to the cloud as part of which functions was not revealed, however. A few specific functions were nevertheless highlighted.
Edit texts and find images
Apple Intelligence can be used to rewrite texts, adjust the way you express yourself, or have the AI check spelling and grammar. You can also create individual emojis using a simple text prompt and send them immediately via text message. Even entire images can be created using artificial intelligence in the “Image Playground”.
The AI also helps with real photos. It can locate certain images based on a short text description. This even works with very specific points in a video. Slideshows and montages can also be created for events for which there are several images and video recordings.
Apple Intelligence also provides some functions in the area of productivity. Short summaries of the message content are now displayed in the email overview. The notifications on the phone are also managed by the AI. It ensures that the most important notifications are always displayed at the top and do not get lost.
Siri 2.0
Siri also benefits. The digital assistant now understands user requests even when sentences are interrupted or not fully formulated. In addition, questions can also be asked via text in the future. This means that Siri can be used even when you are in an environment where voice requests are not possible.
Siri now also knows what is happening on the iPhone screen. From now on, it is “onscreen aware” and can provide information about images displayed, for example.
Users have to wait a little longer for the AI
These and other AI functions will be available free of charge to all future owners of an iPhone 16, as Apple emphasized. However, not at the launch of the new smartphone. The features described will initially only be available on the devices as part of a beta update in October. In addition to the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPads as well as Macs with at least the M1 chip will also receive the update.
Initially, however, the AI functions can only be used in English. Additional languages are not to be added until 2025. Unlike French, Japanese and Spanish, German was not mentioned separately. Whether or what fundamental restrictions there are for European users when using Apple Intelligence was also not addressed during the presentation.
Only with the official release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 will the AI be available to everyone. The corresponding update for the operating systems will come “in the coming months”.
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