Apple’s AI Revolution: Exclusive to the Chosen Few

TL;DR: Apple’s new AI features are limited to iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and U.S. English users. Siri’s improvements won’t reach HomePods or Apple Watches. The restricted access and delayed rollout disappoint tech analysts, who predict a long journey for Apple’s AI revolution.

After a two-year wait, Apple has finally embraced the generative AI trend. Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, announced this exciting news at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). However, the details reveal a limited scope for this technological leap.

The Privileged Minority

The new Apple Intelligence system and the revamped Siri will only be available to:

1. iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max users
2. Those who speak and write in U.S. English

This excludes over 90% of current iPhone users unless they upgrade their devices. Out of the estimated 1.5 billion active iPhone users worldwide, only about 100 million are expected to have the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. That’s less than 7% of Apple’s total cell phone users.

Even among those lucky few, only U.S. users will benefit for now.

Restricted Access

iPhones

• Only 2 out of 24 iOS 18-compatible models will run Apple Intelligence
• Other iPhones won’t have access to the improved Siri

iPads and Macs

• 5 out of 15 iPadOS 18-compatible iPad models will benefit
• 13 out of 18 macOS 15 Sequoia-compatible Macs will have access
• Devices must have M1 or higher processors

Surprisingly, even the Vision Pro mixed reality glasses, despite being equipped with an M2 processor, will not feature the new AI capabilities.

Promising Functions, Distant Future

The exclusion of Siri’s revamp from Apple Watches and HomePods has disappointed many. These devices heavily rely on voice control, yet they won’t receive the much-needed improvements.

Smartwatches, smart speakers, and the Apple TV video player are also left out of the AI upgrade.

Apple hasn’t provided any information on whether current models outside the new AI system will gain access to some functions in the future. There are no details on when these features will be available in other languages, such as Spanish.

The company states that Apple Intelligence “will be available in beta as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia this fall in U.S. English. Some features, software platforms, and additional languages will come over the next year.”

Disappointed Expectations

Tech analysts had hoped for a more inclusive AI rollout. Jason Snell, a former Macworld editor, expressed his frustration with Siri’s unreliability on Apple Watches and AirPods.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicted that Apple’s AI would be available on all devices. Now, he warns that the company’s AI push will take years to pay off and complete. He argues that the new features “probably won’t do much to supercharge iPhone sales this year.”

It’s a waiting game.