Apple Delays Launch of AI Features Raising Concerns Over iPhone 16 Roadmap
Apple’s upcoming AI features, Apple Intelligence, will arrive later than initially anticipated, potentially hitting iPhone 16 sales. l Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- Apple’s new AI features, Apple Intelligence, will be released later than expected.
- The AI features will begin rolling out in October, with European customers receiving updates in the new year.
- This delay may potentially hit the new iPhone 16 sales.
Apple’s new artificial intelligence (AI) features will be available later than expected. The Cupertino-based company is still trying to fix some bugs before its new AI launch.
There are concerns that the news of this may affect iPhone 16 sales, even after Apple is no longer among the top five sellers in China, once its largest market for iPhone.
Apple Delays AI Features Launch
Apple’s upcoming artificial intelligence features, Apple Intelligence, will arrive later than initially anticipated , missing the initial launch of the upcoming iPhone and iPad software overhauls. This delay will give the company more time to fix bugs.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple plans to begin rolling out Apple Intelligence to customers through software updates by October. This means the AI features will be available a few weeks after the initial iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 releases planned for September.
The new generative models behind Apple Intelligence will be available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, with contributions from OpenAI, whose CEO, Sam Altman, was present during the unveiling.
Apple Intelligence offers multiple intuitive capabilities, such as helping users check if a postponed meeting conflicts with a personal commitment, recognizing important notifications based on context, and improving writing across native and third-party apps with system-wide proofreading and style enhancements.
It can also create generative photos in styles like Sketch, Illustration, and Animation and perform specific tasks across various apps, like retrieving files sent by a contact over a specific period. These capabilities leverage cloud-based models using Apple Silicon to ensure user data remains private and secure.
Siri will gain numerous new features with the arrival of Apple Intelligence, including answering thousands of questions about using your device and performing actions like sending an Apple News article to a group thread in Messages. Siri will also benefit from “personal context” integration, accessing a broader range of information and data on your device.
The Role Of Developers
Nevertheless, Apple is planning to make Apple Intelligence available to software developers for early testing as soon as this week through the iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas. This strategy is unusual for the company, which does not release previews of follow-up updates until the initial version of the new software generation is publicly available.
The stakes are higher than usual. To ensure a smooth release of its significant AI investment, Apple needs support from developers to help identify and resolve issues and test features on a broader scale.
Concerns over Apple Intelligence’s stability partly led the company to separate these features from the initial launch of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
Last week, the tech giant released the fourth beta of iOS 18.0 to developers and aims to complete development by the end of July. When Apple introduces new iPhones each September, it includes the accompanying new software. This necessitates finishing the operating system several weeks earlier to allow time for the software to be installed on the devices before they are shipped out of the factory.
Will This Delay Impact iPhone 16 Sales?
The iPhone 16 line will see minimal design changes, so software enhancements, along with a new button to control the camera and a faster chip, will be crucial for driving sales of the new models.
However, the market is wondering whether this delay in launching the new AI features may impact iPhone 16 sales. A TLC expert, who preferred to remain anonymous, told CCN that “it may hit the company’s sales expectations as other companies are already moving quickly to add AI features to their smartphones.”
The expert added: “Apple already took a hit in China, its largest iPhone market, and this delay may benefit its rivals. The only chance to save sales is if Apple delays the presentation of new products to October as well, to avoid leaving iPhone 16 seekers without new features for more than a month.”
Apple was edged out of the top five smartphone vendors in China in the second quarter, as competition from Chinese brands intensified.
The trend shows that with domestic handset makers surging ahead, the focus of competition among leading smartphone brands in the Chinese market has shifted from shipment volumes to high-end offerings.
A report released by research firm IDC highlighted that Chinese original equipment producers, particularly Vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi, with significant double-digit growths, were the biggest contributors to the increased momentum in the second quarter.
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