Apple is giving more people the chance to test a software update that brings artificial intelligence to its virtual assistant Siri and automates some tedious tasks on the latest iPhone, which launches Friday.
The free update was made available on Thursday to an audience that signed up to test Apple’s software before it rolls out to all iPhone owners next month. On Thursday, only two premium iPhones released last year included the souped-up processor needed to power the update’s AI features, but that changes Friday when four new iPhone 16 models hit store shelves.
All iPhone 16 models, which start at $800 and go all the way to $1,200, come equipped with the new technology, which the company is marketing as “Apple Intelligence.” That branding is part of an effort to distinguish the iPhone’s AI from similar technology already available in smartphones released by Samsung And Google.
The AI features are being promoted as one of the main reasons to buy an iPhone 16, and releasing a test version of the software powering the technology now could prompt more consumers to purchase one of the new models as soon as possible.
The AI technology is currently only available in U.S. English, but will expand to localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom in December. Apple plans to expand to additional languages and countries next year. Testing of the AI software begins just days after Apple released its latest mobile operating system, iOS 18, for all of its previous iPhones.
Once the iOS 18.1 upgrade rolls out, the often-clunky Siri should become more talkative, versatile, and colorful, with a glowing light that will rotate around the iPhone’s display as it responds to requests. While Apple promises that Siri will be able to perform more tasks and be less likely to get confused, it won’t be able to communicate with other apps installed on the iPhone until another software update arrives at an as-yet-undetermined date.
Other AI features in the software update will handle a variety of writing and proofreading tasks, summarizing the contents of emails and other documents. The AI will also provide a variety of editing tools to change the look of photos and make it easier to find old photos.
But the first update doesn’t include other AI tricks that are yet to come, like the ability to create custom emojis on the fly or summon other fanciful images on demand. Apple also plans to eventually enable its AI suite to get a helping hand from OpenAI’s ChatGPT if users so desire.
In addition to the new iPhone model, Apple’s AI features will also work on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as they have the dedicated computer chip required. The update also brings the ability to record spatial video to those two iPhone 15 models, which can be viewed through Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro headset.
But the AI won’t work on hundreds of millions of other iPhones still in use, a drawback that investors are counting on being fueled The recent decline in sales of Apple’s ubiquitous device.
That expectation is the main reason Apple’s stock price has risen more than 15% since the company’s founding. gave a preview of its AI strategy in Junewhich generated $500 billion in shareholder wealth. Some analysts believe that demand for new iPhones could push Apple’s market value above $4 trillion for the first time within the next year.