Apple Intelligence is now available.
Apple’s gadgets became a little smarter on Monday, as the tech company officially introduced its first Apple Intelligence features in the United States via its iOS 18.1 software. The tech giant is gradually introducing new, AI-powered tools, and a number of AI-enabled features it has promised are still unavailable.
Siri has been enhanced with a more “natural-sounding voice” and better conversational skills, among other Apple Intelligence enhancements unveiled on Monday. Other AI-powered features include new writing and summary tools, as well as improved photo editing capabilities.
Other AI capabilities, such as Genmoji, which allows users to generate their own emoticons, ChatGPT integration on Apple devices, and others, will take longer to arrive. Some tech experts believe customers may be underwhelmed by what iOS 18.1 presently has to offer in terms of AI capabilities.
“I would say if you download it and you have AI, you might even go, ‘Wait, that’s it?’ Because this is coming out in stages,” CNET editor-at-large Bridget Carey told CBS Mornings.
As for the new Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, “This is not something that you instantly get a chatbot that you can converse with on your phone,” said Carey, adding, “Think of this as Siri getting a little easier to use if you stammer and stumble over commands. It will understand you better. But it’s not going to make wild new answers,” she explained.
Not all smartphones running iOS 18.1 will have Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence is only compatible with the most recent iPhone, iPad, and Mac models equipped with Apple Pro chips. According to Apple, the new features are now available on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later.
For Apple Intelligence to work, both the device and Siri’s language must be set to U.S. English.
Big Improvements to the Photos App
Some of the most visible new AI-powered tools included with iOS 18.1 are related to Apple’s Photos app. A “Clean Up” tool allows photographers to remove distracting or unwanted objects from images with a single press. The app also has new natural language search capabilities, allowing users to swiftly find and organize old photos.
Hearing Aids
The latest software upgrade also enables Apple’s AirPods Pro to operate as hearing aids. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month approved Hearing Aid Feature (HAF), the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter hearing aid software.
The new HAF is intended for the estimated 30 million Americans who have mild to moderate hearing loss caused by “aging, exposure to loud noises, certain medical conditions, and other factors,” according to the FDA.