What is Apple Intelligence, when is it coming and who will get it?
After many rumours and expectations, Apple Intelligence was officially unveiled at WWDC 2024 in June. This announcement came during a period of intense discussion about generative AI from companies like Google and OpenAI. There were fears that Apple, known for its secrecy, might miss an opportunity in cutting-edge technology.
However, contrary to expectations, Apple has been actively working on its own version of artificial intelligence. While the presentations at WWDC were flashy, Apple Intelligence ultimately represents a more pragmatic approach to AI.
Apple Intelligence (AI for short) is not a standalone feature, but is integrated into Apple's existing offerings. It's more like a rebranding: technology based on the Large Language Model (LLM) will work behind the scenes to provide users with new capabilities in familiar applications.
What is Apple Intelligence?
Cupertino marketers have dubbed Apple Intelligence ‘AI for all of us’. The platform is designed to enhance existing features with generative AI, such as text and image generation. Like other systems such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence is trained on big data models, using deep learning to create connections between text, images, videos and music.
The LLM-powered ‘Writing Tools’ feature is available in various Apple applications such as Mail, Messages, Pages and Notifications. It allows users to create summaries of long texts, proofread them and even write messages by choosing the tone and content.
Image generation has also been integrated, though not as smoothly. Users can ask Apple Intelligence to create custom emoji (Genmojis) in Apple's signature style. The Image Playground app lets you generate visual content for use in Messages, Keynote or for sharing on social media.
Apple Intelligence also marks significant improvements for Siri. The voice assistant, which has long remained in the shadows, is now more deeply integrated into Apple's operating systems. For example, instead of the familiar icon, users will see a glowing border around the edge of their iPhone screen when performing Siri tasks.
Who will get Apple Intelligence and when?
While public beta versions of Apple's latest operating systems are already available, Apple Intelligence is not yet fully ready. Demonstrations at WWDC showed off the system's capabilities, but users won't be able to experience it until autumn, when public versions of iOS/iPadOS 18 and Mac Sequoia are released. The service will be free for owners of the following devices:
- iPhone 15 Pro Max (A17 Pro)
- iPhone 15 Pro (A17 Pro)
- iPad Pro (M1 and later)
- iPad Air (M1 and later)
- MacBook Air (M1 and later)
- MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
- iMac (M1 and later)
- Mac mini (M1 and later)
- Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
Notably, only Pro versions of the iPhone 15 will have access to Apple Intelligence due to the chipset limitations of the standard model. However, the entire iPhone 16 lineup will likely support the feature when it is released.
Private cloud computing
Apple is taking a small-model learning approach to optimise tasks and reduce the load on the device. However, more complex requests will be handled using the new Private Cloud Compute offering, which is managed by remote servers powered by Apple Silicon. This ensures high levels of privacy and performance, even when requests are processed through the cloud.
Apple Intelligence and third-party applications
Prior to WWDC, there was a lot of talk about Apple's possible partnership with OpenAI. However, it turned out that the collaboration was aimed at providing alternative capabilities for tasks that Apple Intelligence was not designed for. It's a recognition that a system with a small model has its limitations.
Apple Intelligence will be free, similar to ChatGPT. Users of paid OpenAI accounts will have access to premium features not available to free users. Apple is expected to partner with other generative AI services, including Google Gemini. 
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