Apple on Monday made major changes to Siri, unveiling the first version of Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI features that generate emails, images and organize notifications.
The Cupertino, California-based company made the release available for testing only to registered software developers. iOS 18.1 beta version. The developer program costs $99 per year.
According to CNBC, which first reported the news, users will have to join a waitlist to watch the new shows.
The release comes just weeks after the company had originally planned to make the AI features available to the public as part of the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 release, and the day after Bloomberg News reported that the AI features would be delayed until October.
At its conference in June, Apple touted its first AI software suite.
The first AI release brings a new look to the voice assistant Siri, which now lights up the edge of the phone when in use.
It also improves Siri’s ability to understand your questions, even when you’re at a loss for words.
Siri can also help users if their phone breaks down by answering troubleshooting questions about Apple products.
Among other new features, Apple Intelligence gives users a better photo search experience and improved movie-making capabilities.
The software also offers AI-generated summaries for transcriptions of emails, text messages, and voicemails, as well as a writing tool to assist with generating text messages.
Apple said its AI also includes other features that will be rolled out over the next year, including image and emoji generation, automatic photo cleanup, and OpenAI ChatGPT integration.
Future versions of Apple Intelligence are also expected to include further improvements to Siri, including how it uses your personal information and takes actions within apps.
The new feature works on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and newer models.
The announcement comes amid rumors that the company will launch a foldable iPhone.
While the iPhone has evolved over time, it hasn’t seen any major software or design improvements in years.
“We expect this iPhone cycle to continue stronger for longer as the 2025 iPhones will have improved AI feature sets (software and likely hardware),” Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a Monday note.
