At WWDC 2024, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence with great fanfare, promising seamless and context-aware AI features. However, its rollout has been disappointing. Many features were not available when iOS 18 launched, rendering the iPhone 16 series marketed heavily on AI capabilities — less compelling. Even months later, several key features remain in the “coming soon” category, which is a surprising misstep for Apple, which typically excels in delivering polished experiences.
Underwhelming Features
Apple Intelligence’s offerings can be categorized into five groups: recycled ideas, useful but flawed features, novelties, genuinely good innovations, and incomplete promises.
1. Recycled Ideas
Features like Writing Tools and Image Playground feel uninspired. Writing Tools offer basic rephrasing but pale compared to competitors like ChatGPT. Image Playground, akin to DALL-E or Stable Diffusion, restricts users to cartoonish creations, lacking realism. These features fail to innovate or deliver anything remarkable.
2. Useful But Flawed Features
Some features show promise but lack execution. Notification Summaries, meant to organize important alerts, often misinterpret context. Smart Replies are inconsistent, excelling in the Mail app but underperforming in iMessage. Similarly, the Clean Up tool in Photos fails to match Google’s Magic Eraser, making it less appealing.
3. Novelties
Apple Intelligence also includes novelty features like Genmoji, which lets users create custom emojis. While fun initially, the feature lacks long-term utility. Its primary purpose seems to be generating buzz rather than providing a meaningful experience.
4. Genuinely Good Features
Despite the shortcomings, some features stand out. The call recording functionality, although not exclusive to Apple Intelligence, is useful. Additionally, call summaries in the Notes app can benefit users who need quick overviews of recorded conversations. However, these features don’t justify upgrading solely for AI capabilities.
5. Incomplete Features
Many promised features, such as Siri-driven photo editing, remain unavailable. The delayed rollout of these functionalities highlights Apple Intelligence’s unpreparedness at launch.
ChatGPT Integration: A Mixed Bag
Apple Intelligence integrates ChatGPT to enhance Siri’s capabilities. While useful for tasks like text summarization and image descriptions, the integration raises privacy concerns. Users must consent to share data with ChatGPT, but the reliance on external processing undermines Apple’s on-device AI narrative.
Missed Expectations
Apple’s AI features fall short of the polished, intuitive standards typically associated with the brand. Instead of leading the way, Apple appears to be playing catch-up, with features that often underperform compared to competitors like Google. The staggered and incomplete rollout further diminishes the impact of Apple Intelligence, leaving users frustrated.
A Glimmer of Hope
While the initial implementation has been disappointing, Apple’s history suggests it could refine and enhance these features over time. However, the messy debut of Apple Intelligence stands as a rare misstep for a company known for its meticulous product launches.
In conclusion, Apple Intelligence has potential, but its current state reflects a rushed and fragmented rollout. For now, upgrading solely for AI features is not recommended. Only time will tell if Apple can transform this into a standout offering that matches its reputation
