Apple Intelligence is the big Apple news of the year and, today, it is finally available, but not in France (at least, not on iPhones and iPads). As a reminder, Apple Intelligence was presented in June during the WWDC conference. And today, Apple is finally deploying the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 updates which provide access to some of the features unveiled by the firm, on compatible devices.
Apple Intelligence is compatible with iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 series models. And for now, you need to set the device language to US English. But even if you own one of these devices, you still won’t be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence if you live in the European Union. For the moment, Apple is blocking the launch of this new product in our region, because it must first ensure that everything complies with EU rules.
What features are available?
On compatible devices and in countries where Apple Intelligence is available, iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 updates provide access to a first wave of new AI features.
Rewrite
Apple does not intend to compete with models like ChatGPT, but it still offers a feature called Rewrite which allows you to use AI to reformulate text. And the advantage of this functionality, compared to similar services, is that it is integrated into the operating system.
WOW! Apple intelligence crushed the rewrite of my text to my sister. This is a game changer. #siri #ios18 #AppleIntelligence pic.twitter.com/clMVHVfCDc
— Tim Szczepaniak (@Tesla_And_Tech) July 29, 2024
A more natural version of Siri
Apple has also improved Siri and says its assistant is becoming more natural and flexible. “With richer language understanding capabilities, Siri can track users when they stumble over their words and maintain context from one request to the next,” says Apple.
A new search in Photos
Apple’s Photos application also benefits from a significant improvement, since it will be possible to search for an image by describing the content you are looking for with a description in natural language. In addition, Apple also offers an equivalent of Google’s magic eraser, which allows you to erase objects in a photo using AI. Otherwise, it will also be possible to generate souvenir videos by describing the video you want to obtain.
New productivity features
Apple has also thought about the productivity of its users, by offering a feature in the Mail application which highlights the most important emails. The app can also summarize emails so that the user does not have to open them. And when a message needs to be responded to, the AI can also suggest quick responses to the user.
Otherwise, Apple’s AI can also help the user better manage their notifications. And the firm offers, on the iPhone’s notes and phone applications, a feature that records, transcribes, then summarizes the audio.
Smart Reply in Mail
Quickly draft an email response with all the right details. Apple Intelligence can identify questions you were asked in an email and offer relevant selections to include in your response. With a few taps you’re ready to send a reply with key questions… pic.twitter.com/0f1If8z4Pa
— Thomas Kackley (@iOSDeveloperGuy) October 28, 2024
More features are coming
For now, that’s it. But other features, like the ability to integrate ChatGPT with Siri, will come later. Apple is also working on versions of Apple Intelligence for other languages, including French. But at the moment, we do not know precisely when the French version will be available. And it is still unclear when the blockage of Apple Intelligence in the EU will be lifted.
- Apple has just started rolling out Apple Intelligence via updates for iPhone, iPad and Macs
- But this new feature is not yet available for iPhones and iPads used in the EU
- New Apple Intelligence features include a writing assistance tool, an improved version of Siri and even productivity features
