Apple's Focus on Hardware, Not Apple Intelligence, Was a Breath of Fresh Air

During its iPhone 16 event on Monday, Apple didn’t discuss its suite of generative AI features in depth until about an hour in, after unveiling hardware like the Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4 and the iPhone 16 lineup. 

Following high-profile phone launches from major Android phone makers, which were chock-full of AI, it was refreshing not to be bombarded with the word “AI” right off the bat. And I hope it’s an approach other tech giants eventually adopt, too.

Instead, Apple saved its presentation on Apple Intelligence for later into the keynote, allowing hardware to be the (rightful) focus of its big fall event. If this had been any other year, you may have read that sentence and thought, “Of course hardware would be the focus of an iPhone event.” But it’s 2024, and it’s all AI, all the time. 

Events held by other major phone-makers like Google and Samsung have referenced artificial intelligence ad nauseam, touting all the supercharged capabilities it’ll bring across messages, notes, photos and digital assistants. Even during Google’s Pixel 9 reveal last month, Gemini stole the spotlight. AI has become an indelible part of the tech fabric, woven into almost every product reveal and company keynote. 

However, Apple appears to be doing a better job of reading the public’s temperature when it comes to generative AI features on phones. In fact, according to a recent CNET survey, just 18% of people say AI integrations are their main motivator for upgrading their phone. The biggest drivers are relatively more old-school: longer battery life (61%), more storage (46%) and better camera features (38%). Apple smartly focused on those features during this year’s event, despite all the general AI hype. 

That is not to say AI didn’t underlie Apple’s announcements on Monday. Along with being allotted a portion of the keynote, Apple Intelligence was referenced throughout as powering iPhone 16 features across Photos, Siri and Messages, as well as being supported by the A18 chip. Despite some uncertainty among smartphone consumers, Apple, along with other phone makers, is working tirelessly to convince you that you need its latest AI features for the best mobile experience. It’s just not using the entirety of its events to do so, and I’m grateful.

The timing of Apple Intelligence’s release is still somewhat vague, with the company noting it’ll “start rolling out next month with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and MacOS Sequoia 15.1.” Apple’s more measured approach to this rollout suggests it doesn’t want to overpromise and underdeliver. And with something as unpredictable as AI, that may be a good approach.  

Understandably, Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June dedicated more time to explicitly touting Apple Intelligence — along with debuting it. Much of the AI talk during the iPhone 16 event was a recap of what was announced a few months ago. 

But Apple’s more modest approach to uttering the words “artificial intelligence,” and its decision to defer that portion of its presentation is reflective of the company’s general approach to the burgeoning tech. Even during WWDC, the iPhone maker didn’t say “AI” anywhere near as frequently as Google did during its I/O event this year and last. Apple has been characteristically cautious about how and when it joins the AI arms race, opting for a more subdued (and belated) approach. Yes, AI will still be baked into practically every task you do on your iPhone, but you won’t have to hear about it nonstop.

Here’s hoping the “Apple effect” does its thing here, and other companies take note.