During its “Glowtime” keynote, Apple unveiled a new feature called “Visual Intelligence” that promises to revolutionize search on iPhone. And surprise: the Cupertino giant relies on third-party partners like Google to power this visual search engine accessible from the Camera Control button.
More than just a camera shutter, the new Camera Control button on iPhone 16 opens up new possibilities. With Visual Intelligence, simply aim your iPhone at an object, a place, an animal and press this button to instantly obtain information.
But what really stands out is the seamless integration of third-party services, starting with Google Search. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, showed how to identify a bike with Visual Intelligence and switch to Google Shopping results in one click to buy it.
A feature that raises some questions. How will the iPhone know whether to call upon an Apple service (like Maps) or a third-party partner to respond to a visual query? What customization options will the user have? So many questions that remain unanswered.
Nevertheless, this integration of Google Search into the heart of the iPhone experience is a real spotlight for the search giant. Already a privileged partner of Apple on Safari, Google sees its place paradoxically strengthened on iOS.
When AI enters the Apple ecosystem
This openness is not limited to Google. During a demo, Apple also highlighted ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational agent accessible via Siri. By pointing the iPhone camera at course notes, you can ask the AI for help in understanding a concept or solving a problem.
With Visual Intelligence, Apple seems to be positioning itself as a platform that provides access to a multitude of third-party AI and search services, without having to launch dedicated applications. Of course, Apple assures that the user will retain control over the use of these third-party tools. But the fact is that the firm is weaving its web behind the scenes, forming partnerships to enrich the experience on iPhone. All while protecting itself in the event of erroneous results from ChatGPT or irrelevant Google searches.
A clever strategy that could reshuffle the cards on the mobile search market. And bring in big bucks for Apple, which already earns around $20 billion a year from Google for being the default search engine for Safari. Let’s bet that Visual Intelligence will give a new boost to this juicy deal.