Apple releases first version of iPhone AI with improved Siri, generated photos and messages

Apple on Monday rolled out the first version of Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI features that will drastically change Siri, generate emails and images and sort notifications.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company made the release available for testing only to registered software developers as part of its beta version of iOS 18.1. The developer program costs $99 a year. 

Users will have to register on a waitlist for access to the new programming, according to CNBC, which first reported the news.

The release comes a day after Bloomberg News reported the AI features will be delayed until October, a few weeks after the company had initially planned to make it available to the public as part of its iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 releases.

Apple touted the tech giant’s first suite of AI software during its June conference.

The initial AI release has revamped the look of its voice assistant, Siri, which now makes the edges of the phone glow when in use. 

It also improves Siri’s ability to understand what users are asking – even when they stumble over their words. 

Siri will also be able to help users when its own phone is failing – by answering troubleshooting questions about Apple products.

Among other new features, Apple Intelligence will provide users with a better photo search experience and improved movie creation. 

The software will make AI-generated summaries of emails, text messages and voicemail transcriptions, as well as writing tools to help generate text messages.

Apple says its AI includes other features that will be rolled out over the next year, like image and emoji generation, automated photo clean up and OpenAI ChatGPT integration. 

Future Apple Intelligence versions will also include more improvements to Siri, like its ability to use your personal information and perform actions inside apps.

The new features will work on the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and newer models.

The rollout comes amid the company’s rumored release of a foldable iPhone.

While the iPhone has evolved over time, it has resisted major software and design overhauls for some years.

“We expect this iPhone cycle to remain strong for longer as AI feature sets (software and possibly hardware) improve in the 2025 iPhone,” Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a note on Monday.