At yet one more splashy occasion, Apple on Tuesday launched its newest lineup of iPhones: the iPhone 17, 17 Professional, 17 Professional Max, and a brand new slimmer model dubbed the iPhone Air. The “Air” branding is supposed to call to mind different light-weight — and typically inexpensive — Apple merchandise just like the MacBook Air and iPad Air. But it surely additionally remembers a time when smartphone makers have been chasing an ever-thinner telephone. Within the AI period, nevertheless, it’s not essentially the gadget’s dimension that issues; it’s what the software program it runs can do.
On this entrance, Apple has lagged its opponents.
At its iPhone 17 occasion, the corporate solely referenced AI expertise just a few instances: to rehash some updates introduced in June at WWDC, like Visible Intelligence and its on-device fashions, and in some points of its digital camera upgrades, just like the iPhone 17’s entrance digital camera, which it calls Heart Stage.
Probably the most compelling use of AI wasn’t even launched as a telephone improve; it was the AI-powered Reside Translation function coming to Apple’s AirPods 3.
There was no point out of Siri in any respect, AI-powered or in any other case.
A lot has been made about how Apple’s miscalculation on AI may negatively have an effect on its trade standing and future success. In the meantime, Google final month rolled out its newest launch of an AI-powered Android telephone with its Pixel 10, as iPhone house owners nonetheless await an AI Siri that’s been delayed till 2026.
Till now, Apple has solely launched what might be thought of baseline AI options for its gadgets, like AI writing instruments, summarization, generative AI pictures (which some complain should not excellent), stay translation, visible search, and Genmoji, amongst others. But a digital assistant that understands a variety of questions — with out deferring to ChatGPT — or one that may present additional context out of your iPhone apps stays overdue.
Lately, it was reported that Apple is trying to third events to assist it catch up within the AI race. An AI-enhanced Siri might be operating another expertise — like Google Gemini — beneath the hood.
At first look, this delay, mixed with the choice to depend on a 3rd get together — and even, probably a large acquisition — looks like it may spell dangerous information for Apple. Nonetheless, Apple’s determination to outsource a number of the telephone’s AI expertise may really change into a promoting level for customers.
Right this moment’s iPhone house owners usually swap out Apple’s expertise for Google’s by choosing Gmail, Google Drive and Docs, Google Maps, and Chrome over Apple’s personal apps like Mail, its iWork suite, Apple Maps, and Safari, for instance. When individuals search the net, they flip to Google’s Search app, not Apple’s built-in Highlight search, regardless of its many integrations through the years to supply primary info and solutions, leveraging sources like Wikipedia. Why, then, shouldn’t they have the ability to use Google’s AI expertise, too?
If Apple does proceed with a third-party deal to combine AI into its gadgets, it could work out to be a fair larger win for iPhone house owners. It will imply that high-performing AI expertise can be built-in into the gadget extra natively. It will really feel extra seamless, extra part of the iPhone expertise itself than merely operating an AI app. And Apple may get there with out having to make investments as closely within the infrastructure required to compete within the AI race, which is nice for the corporate’s (already wholesome) backside line.
Plus, given the velocity with which AI expertise has been evolving, this design would go away room for Apple to swap out fashions or develop assist to incorporate others, as AI corporations edge themselves forward of others.
The consequence for customers can be one of the best of each worlds: the aesthetics and {hardware} high quality (thinness and all!) of the iPhone, with Google’s expertise (or Anthropic’s or OpenAI’s) powering a number of the key AI elements. That may be useful to Apple’s general model.
It additionally signifies that the look-and-feel of up to date iPhones themselves and their {hardware} advances will proceed to drive gross sales and upgrades, permitting Apple to do what it does finest: concentrate on construct high quality, digital camera enhancements, privacy-preserving tech, intentional software program design modifications like Liquid Glass — and sure, tremendous skinny telephones.
Apple may proceed to market itself as a best-in-class {hardware} maker first, not an AI gadget maker; prospects may nonetheless lengthy for the newest iPhones, as all the time, with out having to sacrifice the newest expertise advances once they make the selection to purchase a telephone from Apple.
In fact, this situation solely performs out if and when Apple opts to launch a model of Siri that runs a third-party’s AI expertise to boost its personal. (Or if it buys an AI firm). But when Apple decides to solely depend on its Apple Intelligence choices with out getting them on top of things shortly, the result might be a lot totally different.
