Is Apple Intelligence Worth the Hype?

TL;DR

Apple Intelligence is not worth the hype so far because its released features work but offer limited practical value. Writing Tools can shorten selected text by about 40% and run offline in three or four seconds, while notification summaries were unreliable enough for the reviewer to disable them. Genmoji and Image Playground serve narrower creative uses, and the rollout was still incomplete nearly six months after WWDC 2024. Read on for a feature-by-feature assessment.

Transcript

All right. We got to talk about Apple intelligence. So, Apple's made this promise, this huge thing is coming that's going to change everything across their whole lineup. They've been talking about it for a while, and I think that promise is starting to fade. This was first announced at WWDC 2024. That was nearly six months ago, and it's still not c... Read More

Key Insights

• Apple Intelligence was announced at WWDC 2024, but many features are still not widely available.
• Writing tools on Apple devices offer generative AI for text adjustment, but have limited practical use for many users.
• Notification summaries aim to condense messages, but often fail to provide meaningful improvements.
• Jen Moji allows users to create custom emojis using AI, though its practical application is limited.
• Image playground generates cartoon-style images, providing a creative outlet but limited real-world utility.
• Priority notifications aim to manage alerts better, potentially useful for Mail app users.
• The Photos app's background object removal tool is highly effective, outperforming similar tools from competitors.
• Visual intelligence on iPhone 16 models allows object recognition and search, but offers no groundbreaking innovations.

Questions & Answers

Q: Is Apple Intelligence worth the hype?

Not so far, according to the review. The available features generally work, but Writing Tools provided little practical value, notification summaries were almost useless, and Genmoji served a very specific use case.

Q: When was Apple Intelligence announced, and when was it expected to be finished?

Apple Intelligence was announced at WWDC 2024. Nearly six months later it was still incomplete, with the finished rollout expected by March 2025.

Q: Which devices support the Apple Intelligence features reviewed?

Unless otherwise specified, the reviewed features are available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The Vision Pro has no Apple Intelligence features in the review.

Q: What can Apple Intelligence Writing Tools do?

Writing Tools use generative AI to adjust selected text with options such as friendly, professional, concise, proofreading, summary, and table creation. The reviewer found concise most useful because it made selected text about 40% shorter, while summary and table creation did not work on some very large documents.

Q: Do Apple Intelligence Writing Tools work offline?

Yes, the reviewed Writing Tools generate entirely on the device and therefore work offline. Each transformation took about three or four seconds.

Q: How do Apple Intelligence notification summaries work?

The feature condenses a long message or several notifications from one app into one or two lines. The reviewer rarely found that notifications benefited from this treatment and ultimately turned the feature off.

Q: What is Genmoji, and how long does it take to create an emoji?

Genmoji lets users describe an emoji that does not already exist and generate it with AI. Creation takes about three seconds, although the tool may refuse requests it considers crazy or graphic.

Q: What does Apple Intelligence Image Playground do?

Image Playground generates cartoon-style images from a text description. It also provides inspiration buttons and can use people recognized in the Photos app as the starting point for an image.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Apple Intelligence features were announced to much fanfare, but many remain unavailable or underwhelming. Writing tools and notification summaries offer limited enhancements, while features like Jen Moji and image playground cater to niche interests. The standout is the Photos app's background object removal tool, which excels in performance.

• Despite high expectations, Apple Intelligence's current offerings are not revolutionary. While tools like priority notifications and visual intelligence provide some value, they are not game-changing. The integration of ChatGPT into Siri shows potential, but is not yet fully realized.

• Apple Intelligence is still evolving, with promises of future updates. The current emphasis on AI features in advertising suggests continued development. However, the most tangible benefit so far is increased base memory in Apple devices, enhancing overall performance.