Apple has finally made its first meaningful entry into the artificial intelligence space, with a series of features unveiled as part of the new iPhone 16.

Known as Apple Intelligence, the features will integrate AI into everything from emojis, to the Notes app, to transcribing meetings and organising notifications.

Apple Intelligence

Although it may seem that Apple Intelligence is a new operating system or generative AI model, it is simply Apple’s latest features that use AI under a clever marketing slogan.

“With Writing Tools, users can refine their words by rewriting, proofreading, and summarising text nearly everywhere they write, including Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps,” Apple said.

“In Photos, the Memories feature now enables users to create the movies they want to see by simply typing a description.”

Apple has been behind competitors when it comes to AI integration, and consumers will have to wait a while yet get their hands on Apple Intelligence. Photo: Apple

The company is a latecomer to the AI game and all these features will sound familiar to people well-versed in ChatGPT, Midjourney and other generative AI models.

Other AI-based features include the ability to record, transcribe and summarise audio (similar to Otter.ai),  the ability to remove people and objects from photos and search through the gallery for key terms.

Video meeting summaries will also be automatically generated.

Notifications will also be streamlined through AI.

If you have a lot of them, Apple Intelligence will look through them and put what it deems the most important at the top.

Instead of seeing the whole text or email, it will show users a summary of the message.

Apple also said Siri would become “more natural, flexible, and deeply integrated into the system experience”.

The “Image Playground” will allow users to create AI images in three different styles including animation, illustration or sketch.

This feature has its own app but is also integrated into other apps, like Messages, so you can share the creations around.

An “Image Want” can also turn tough sketches by the user into images.

There’s also “Genmojis”, or generative AI emojis that can be custom generated with user prompts.

Apple has promised a slew of other features that are yet to be announced, but Apple Intelligence will only be available on the newest devices from late 2024 or early 2025 after the release date was pushed back.

The newest iPhone, Plus, 16 Pro and Pro Max models will be available from Friday, September 20 and have been touted as the “most advanced iPhone models we’ve been making”.

“Customers who are looking for the best possible iPhone will be able to take advantage of this huge step forward, whether they’re applying edits to a photo without lifting a finger, rewriting meeting notes for a more professional tone, or using the advanced camera system,” Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said.

“All while enjoying extraordinary battery life.”

The cost of the new iPhone in Australia ranges from $1399 to $2849.

iPhone 16

The 16 Pro will come with a slightly larger display, two new buttons on the phone’s exterior and promises of the “best iPhone battery life ever”.

It also comes with an upgraded camera in both the Pro and Pro Max models, unlike previous models, and like every other feature in it, Apple is adamant it is the best it has produced.

“Featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a faster quad-pixel sensor that enables 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision, these new Pro models achieve the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone,” Apple said.

“Additional advancements include a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera for higher-resolution photography, including macro; a 5x Telephoto camera on both Pro models; and studio-quality mics to record more true-to-life audio.”

Apple is touting the 16’s camera as its best offering yet. Photo: Apple

The iPhone 16 will also have a faster processor to handle all the new AI features. It is available in white, black, green, pink and blue.

Alongside the new iPhone, Apple is launching the Apple Watch Series 10 and the next generation of AirPods which, unsurprisingly, the company claims are the most comfortable ever.