A few weeks ago, Apple had to do the unthinkable and postpone the biggest Apple Intelligence feature it planned to release via the iOS 18.4 update. I’m of course talking about the smarter Siri experience Apple showed off at WWDC 2024. The Siri upgrade Apple was developing for iOS 18 would be able to learn contextual information about the user from the iPhone. It would then be able to assist with more personal information and could even control some iPhone apps.
Apple then proceeded to market the iPhone 16 series around Apple Intelligence, even though the first, more boring AI features weren’t even available on new iPhones until a month after their release.
Fast-forward to March 2025, and we were shocked to learn that the Siri Apple envisioned for Apple Intelligence wasn’t ready. It was all vaporware. This revelation, paired with all the reports seemingly detailing how Apple was dealing with the crisis and what contributed to its inability to deliver this milestone Apple Intelligence feature, was a big humiliation for the iPhone maker.
Some iPhone 16 buyers sued Apple, accusing the company of falsely advertising iPhone capabilities that simply weren’t there. I returned my iPhone 16 Pro Max primarily because of this unexpected Apple Intelligence fiasco. As I explained, I was going to replace it with one of the smaller iPhone 16 flavors, but I abandoned that plan now that it’s clear the Apple Intelligence features Apple promised won’t be ready until much later.
Apple has yet to apologize for this mess publicly, and I expect the upcoming WWDC 2025 event to give Apple fans the apology they deserve. A promise to never advertise vaporware should go hand-in-hand with that. While I’m speculating on these fronts, Apple has started making key changes that practically admit the hot Apple Intelligence mess.
The marketing messaging on Apple’s product pages has been updated to reflect that Apple Intelligence isn’t ready. It’s a public move, yes, but one made quietly. You might not even notice the change if you don’t visit Apple’s websites often enough. Even if you do, you might ignore all that marketing talk and focus on what you’re really looking for.
However, anyone familiar with Apple’s website and the whole Apple Intelligence situation will immediately observe the change in tone. As MacRumors noted, Apple changed the “Hello, Apple Intelligence” motto on the iPhone pages to “Built for Apple Intelligence” (see above).
That’s an indirect indication that Apple Intelligence, while available on the iPhone right now, is not the experience Apple envisioned. Without that advanced Siri that can act like a sophisticated AI assistant, there’s nothing worth using in Apple Intelligence.
Since the iPhone is Apple’s most important product, the company’s biggest Apple Intelligence marketing revolved around the iPhone 16. This started well before the phones hit stores and certainly before the first Apple Intelligence features rolled out via the iOS 18.1 update. Therefore, this fix should primarily concern the iPhone 16 product pages.
However, Apple also made a big deal about Apple Intelligence when launching other products. The Macs come to mind specifically, as Apple beefed up their specs precisely to handle Apple Intelligence better. It turns out that Apple has changed the “Hello, Apple Intelligence” motto on the iPad and Mac product pages.
The move follows another big Apple marketing initiative meant to fix the Apple Intelligence advertising that Apple focused on. People have noticed new iPhone 16 billboards going up that focus on non-AI features like the handset’s camera capabilities. It’s another way Apple is admitting that Apple Intelligence isn’t the big deal it was supposed to be, but it’s good to see Apple do it.
Selling the iPhone 16 as an AI device is pointless unless you can offer buyers the first-party AI features you promised.
That said, Apple’s iPhone 16 marketing message changes are not enough. That public apology, preferably from Tim Cook during the WWDC 2025 opening keynote, has to come.
