Rejoice, Apple Intelligence has finally arrived! If you have a compatible device (more on that later), upgrade to iOS 18.1, iPad OS 18.1, or macOS Sequoia 15.1 and join Apple’s “Apple Innovation” initiative. A first sample of the update, which introduces a new chapter, is now available.
Sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? That’s why it can be a little confusing when you install Apple Intelligence for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, the potential for Apple Intelligence is still huge, but after such a strong claim by the Cupertino company, what we actually get with the latest update feels like a good start, but ultimately is not overwhelming. iOS 18.1 brings writing tools for Proofreading, Rewriting, and Summarization, Notification Summarization, Photo Cleanup, and a redesigned Siri.
Hey Siri, don’t be rude
Yes, Siri looks different, but it works the same. Now, when I lovingly whisper the intimate words “Hey, Siri” into my iPhone, the entire edge of the screen lights up like a multicolored mating call, reminding me a little of a migraine. It’s not subtle, but unfortunately Siri isn’t any smarter than before. Sure, you can measure the time it takes to boil an egg, but if you ask for something more complex, you’re quickly back to boring through a ton of “here’s what I found on the web” search results. ChatGPT should also integrate well with Siri, but that hasn’t happened yet. By the end of the year, Siri will have ChatGPT in iOS 18.2, and next year we’ll see a major upgrade to Siri with personal context and on-screen recognition.
Photo editing is the feature most people associate with AI, but Apple’s updates are underwhelming compared to what competitors already offer. Google Gemini, Meta AI, and Samsung Galaxy AI let you dream of fantastical landscapes and other worlds on your smartphone, while Apple lets you remove objects from your photos, at least for now. Photo Clean Up is amazing, even magical, in that it uses AI to intelligently fill in the background behind the photo elements you want to remove, but it’s not just about removing your ex-partner from your world. Feels like an improved photo editor for. Instead of letting your imagination run wild with AI’s endless possibilities, you can rely on a friendly Photoshop expert to take holiday snapshots without any embarrassment.
In fact, every AI feature Apple has announced so far has been hiding somewhere in the background. To view them, you need to tap the icon on the right. It’s as if Apple is embarrassed by them. For example, if you want to summarize an email in Mail, you must pull down the message to reveal a hidden tab with a Summary button. The proofing tools are hidden behind the Apple Intelligence icon in the menu bar, so it’s easy to miss them.
high hurdle
Of course, for many iPhone owners, Apple Intelligence will remain a pipe dream anyway. The barrier to entry for the iPhone is ridiculously high. To join the AI revolution, you’ll need the highest specs from the previous generation (iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max) or the new iPhone 16. There’s an easy way to check Apple Intelligence. Like the new iPad mini, it works with any M-series Mac (see our iPad mini review). However, the devices you want to use it on are always different. A device you always carry with you. That’s your iPhone.
Add to this the geographically dispersed nature of the rollout (Apple Intelligence won’t be available on iPhone in the UK until December and the rest of Europe until April), and Apple’s big bang release has been a whine. I’m starting to feel it. In the UK, where I live, Siri must use American English to enable Apple Intelligence. This is a relatively simple hack, but a pain to perform.
Wake me up when it’s December
So when will you actually get the Apple Intelligence you need? Apple says it will be in December. There, you’ll get Image Playground for creating AI images, Genmoji for creating custom emojis, and a more advanced Siri integrated with ChatGPT. There’s also a much-improved Mail app that truly takes advantage of all that Apple Intelligence has to offer.
So wake me up in December, Apple, and you’ll see Apple Intelligence properly launched then, and that’s what I’m waiting for.
