Apple has unveiled its latest iPhone 16 family, promising a groundbreaking experience with its “Apple Intelligence” AI features. But, are these features actually as revolutionary as advertised? Analyst Mark Gurman, known for his insights into Apple’s plans, casts doubt on the extent of the iPhone 16’s AI capabilities.
Gurman points out that Apple’s marketing campaign heavily emphasizes Apple Intelligence as the primary reason to upgrade to the new iPhone. However, he argues that the technology is still under development and some features won’t be fully functional until 2025. Moreover, Gurman highlights that the iPhone 16’s hardware is not significantly different from its predecessor, the iPhone 15 Pro, in terms of AI performance. The key requirement for running Apple Intelligence is 8 gigabytes of memory, which is already available in the iPhone 15 Pro.
Gurman goes on to say that Apple’s marketing seems “disingenuous,” particularly given that the iPhone 16 is marketed as the first model “built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence.” He believes that if Apple had truly focused on the hardware upgrades, they would have emphasized those features in their marketing campaign.
Ultimately, Gurman suggests that iPhone 15 Pro users are already equipped to run Apple Intelligence, and upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro solely for its AI features might not be worth the cost. The majority of users won’t have access to the full suite of AI features for several weeks, with some functionalities delayed until next year. Even when fully released, the capabilities of Apple Intelligence are still said to be less advanced than rival AI systems on the market.
So, while Apple promises an AI-powered future with the iPhone 16, it seems that the reality is a bit more nuanced. The company’s emphasis on Apple Intelligence might be more hype than reality, leaving potential buyers to wonder if the hype is worth the upgrade.
