Apple to embrace AI with iPhone 16?

Ever since the release of the iPhone 15, both the general public and analysts glued to their laptops have been speculating when Apple will fully embrace artificial intelligence (AI). Notably, Apple had been reluctant to use the term ‘artificial intelligence,’ opting for ‘machine learning’ until recently. Regardless of the terminology, with the global fascination with AI, Apple couldn’t afford to overlook this technology without risking harm to its iPhone business. It’s now evident that Apple is heavily invested in AI, given the significant activity surrounding the topic within the company. Even CEO Tim Cook has publicly stated that Apple will pioneer advancements in AI.

This suggests that the forthcoming iPhone 16 will incorporate a comprehensive array of AI functionalities. Particularly, AI capabilities on the iPhone 16 will be facilitated through its software, iOS 18, while the new A18 chip will provide added power to enhance its capabilities. The device will feature an upgraded Neural engine dedicated to handling AI tasks.

Upon the launch of iOS 18, it will be made available to all eligible older models, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and others. However, while AI features will likely be directly accessible on the iPhone 16, older iPhone models may need to access them via the internet since their older chips may not be able to handle the workload.

Furthermore, there’s Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, which has been a significant factor driving iPhone sales. However, some argue that Siri hasn’t been as intelligent as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

However, with AI poised to enhance Siri’s capabilities, it’s anticipated that Siri will emerge as a much more formidable model capable of competing on par with others.

Additionally, there are expectations that AI will be integrated into the Apple Messages app, enabling it to answer questions and auto-complete sentences. This was hinted at by Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman.

Apple may also be playing catch-up in image editing compared to Google and Samsung, who have advanced with AI-powered image editors. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest that Apple has partnered with a company to work on this project, although details remain scarce.

Will these developments result in an iPhone 16 that captures global interest? With Google and Samsung smartphones forging ahead, Apple faces a challenging task to compete. However, Apple has consistently risen to such challenges in the past, repeatedly delivering products that captivate consumers.