All posts tagged: Apple Intelligence

Siri Settlement Approved: Apple to Pay Owners of Some iPhone Models

Siri Settlement Approved: Apple to Pay Owners of Some iPhone Models

Published by skeptic

In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI’s delayed launch, and eligible iPhone users could receive up to a $95 payout. Apple’s settlement has now received preliminary approval from a judge, according to a July 17 court document. However, there is no settlement website yet, and it may take months before eligible customers can begin submitting claims. In other words, no action is required from eligible customers at this time, but stay tuned for updates. Below, we have answered some key questions regarding the lawsuit. Why Was Apple Sued? In June 2024, Apple previewed new Siri capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence, including understanding of a user’s personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper per-app controls. For example, Apple showed an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother’s flight and lunch reservation plans based on info from the Mail and Messages apps. Apple advertised those Siri features in product presentations, on its website, in a TV commercial starring actor Bella Ramsey, and elsewhere. In March 2025, Apple …

Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu

Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu

Published by skeptic

Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s generative AI offering, is coming to China. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that China’s internet content regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, approved Apple’s AI services in the country on the back of a deal to integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model into Apple’s operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. On Wednesday evening, a Baidu spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it is also working with Apple on developing Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users. The Alibaba deal, which was rumored to be in the works last year, marks an important step for Apple’s AI ambitions in a key market. In the second quarter, Apple generated $20.5 billion in sales in Greater China, up 28% from a year earlier. Apple also recently regained its No. 2 position in China’s smartphone market after a recent shopping festival offered discounts on the iPhone lineup. The Baidu partnership was also rumored, but reports at the time claimed Apple was facing issues adapting its models for Chinese customers. Apple is also said to be exploring …

Apple Exploring Ways to Run Much Larger AI Models Directly on iPhones

Apple Exploring Ways to Run Much Larger AI Models Directly on iPhones

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Apple has held meetings with PrismML about ways it could use the startup’s technology to run much larger AI models directly on iPhones, according to The Information. The report said PrismML has managed to shrink down Alibaba’s open-source large language model Qwen 3.6 to run entirely on an iPhone 17 Pro. The model has 27 billion parameters, which is larger than Apple’s on-device AFM 3 Core Advanced model with 20 billion parameters. Apple’s model powers iOS 27 enhancements such as Siri AI’s more expressive voices and improved systemwide dictation on iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models. Unlike with AFM 3 Core Advanced, all of Qwen 3.6’s parameters can be active at the same time. “One new on-device Apple model has 20 billion parameters but uses a so-called sparse architecture, in which only 1 billion to 4 billion parameters are active at a time,” the report said, in reference to AFM 3 Core Advanced. “In the case of PrismML’s on-device model, all 27 billion parameters are active at the same time.” Larger models running directly …

Apple Intelligence Home Features Require 2TB iCloud+ Plan in iOS 27

Apple Intelligence Home Features Require 2TB iCloud+ Plan in iOS 27

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Using Apple Intelligence camera features in the Home app will require an iCloud+ plan starting at 2TB, according to Apple. Apple shared the detail in its notes for the third macOS Golden Gate beta that was released today. In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, the Home app is able to generate written summaries for motion alerts from HomeKit Secure Video cameras. It’s also able to group footage from separate cameras for an overview of activity and pull out noteworthy recordings, plus it supports natural language search. Apple said at WWDC that some ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features would require an ‌iCloud‌+ plan, but Apple didn’t specify which tier users would need to subscribe to. For the Home features, users will need the 2TB ‌iCloud‌+ plan or better. The 2TB plan includes 2TB of ‌iCloud‌ storage and it costs $9.99 per month. ‌HomeKit Secure Video‌ cloud storage has always required a paid ‌iCloud‌ plan. The 50GB plan allows for one camera, while the 200GB plan supports up to five. The 2TB plan lets users …

Beyond Siri: Here are the practical AI features coming to your iPhone in iOS 27

Beyond Siri: Here are the practical AI features coming to your iPhone in iOS 27

Published by skeptic

Siri’s AI overhaul may have been the headline announcement at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month, but Apple’s broader AI strategy is taking shape through a series of smaller features embedded across its software. Rather than asking consumers to adopt the new AI-powered version of Siri to get all the benefits that AI brings, the company is weaving AI into the apps and services people already use, with a focus on solving real-world problems. The result is that your iPhone will be able to split restaurant bills among friends, secure your passwords after data breaches, automate tasks, and organize information with less manual effort, among other things. Individually, these features may not be as dramatic as a Siri that finally understands your personal context and can take action on your behalf. But combined, they showcase a vision for AI that’s less about chatting with a bot and more about making Apple’s software itself feel smarter and more capable. Beyond Siri AI, here are the smaller AI features in iOS 27 that we’re most looking …

The MacRumors Show: Siri AI, Apple Intelligence in Apps, and More at WWDC 2026

The MacRumors Show: Siri AI, Apple Intelligence in Apps, and More at WWDC 2026

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On this week’s special episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the major announcements Apple unveiled at WWDC 2026, including Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence features in apps, and system-wide performance and design improvements. Apple framed the keynote around three areas: platform improvements, Trust and Safety, and a sweeping overhaul of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ and ‌Siri‌. Developer betas of all six operating systems are available now, with a public beta expected in July and a general release in September. Liquid Glass received a series of improvements in response to user feedback, with Apple reworking the foundations of how the translucent design language is constructed to deliver more uniform refraction and improved contrast. A new system-wide opacity slider lets users dial transparency anywhere from completely clear to fully tinted. App icons also gain sharper definition with additional layering. macOS Golden Gate receives the same Liquid Glass refinements with particular attention to the transparency and shadow issues most pronounced on the Mac. A significant chunk of the keynote was devoted to performance improvements across all …

What to expect from WWDC 2026: Siri’s highly anticipated revamp and Apple Intelligence updates

What to expect from WWDC 2026: Siri’s highly anticipated revamp and Apple Intelligence updates

Published by skeptic

As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2026, approaches, the excitement is building around what Apple has in store for us this year. From Siri’s overhaul to new Apple Intelligence updates, there’s a lot to look forward to. The annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. For those eager to tune in, the event will be streamed live via the Apple Developer app, Apple’s website, and the Apple Developer YouTube channel. Siri’s big AI makeover  The most anticipated announcement is a major AI upgrade to Siri, transforming it into a more conversational assistant capable of understanding context, handling multi-step tasks, and interacting more naturally across apps and services. The revamped Siri will leverage Google’s Gemini technology to enhance its capabilities. Additionally, recent leaks from Bloomberg have unveiled a standalone Siri app that aims to compete with advanced AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Apple may also introduce a feature reminiscent of messaging apps, enabling users to set timers for automatically deleting conversations after 30 days, a year, or keeping …

Report: Apple Plans to Make On-Device AI a Key WWDC Focus

Report: Apple Plans to Make On-Device AI a Key WWDC Focus

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Apple reportedly plans to use next month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to highlight its on-device AI capabilities as a competitive advantage, leaning on 15 years of custom silicon expertise to make the case for running AI models locally rather than in the cloud. People familiar with Apple’s plans speaking to The Information say the company is expected to showcase how the chips designed for iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macs give it an edge in processing AI queries directly on devices. While cloud-based processing will remain necessary for complex queries, Apple will position local inference as a privacy-preserving, cost-saving alternative to the massive data center buildouts its rivals have pursued. As part of its agreement with Google, Apple is apparently set to use a large version of Google’s Gemini model to train a smaller, distilled version capable of running locally on Apple hardware. Apple is also said to be scouting acquisitions to help advance its model-shrinking work, with one company it has reportedly considered being Liquid AI, a Massachusetts startup focused on running AI locally on …

First Look at AI Camera and Photos Features in iOS 27 Revealed

First Look at AI Camera and Photos Features in iOS 27 Revealed

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Apple is planning sweeping AI-driven upgrades to its Camera and Photos apps in iOS 27, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman reports. The report offers a first look at the appearance of several major ‌iOS 27‌ features that Apple plans to announce at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8. The images are based on information viewed by Bloomberg and people said to be familiar with Apple’s plans. The Camera app is set to gain a dedicated Siri mode, positioned alongside existing options like Photo and Video. Gurman reports the feature would replace the current Visual Intelligence experience, allowing users to photograph objects and have them analyzed by a third-party AI agent or run through a Google reverse image search. By elevating the capability directly into the Camera app rather than restricting it to the Camera Control button, Apple reportedly aims to increase adoption and help acclimate users to visual AI ahead of future products, including smart glasses and camera-equipped AirPods. The Camera app is also said to be getting a new “Add Widgets” panel that makes the …

Apple Preparing New ‘Gen AI’ Website Ahead of WWDC

Apple Preparing New ‘Gen AI’ Website Ahead of WWDC

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Apple is readying the subdomain genai.apple.com, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, but it does not yet lead to a live web page. The genai.apple.com subdomain has been added to Apple’s domain name servers a few weeks ahead of Apple’s annual developers conference WWDC, where the company has promised to announce “AI advancements” across its software platforms. Apple’s website already has an Apple Intelligence page, so it is unclear what the company’s plans are for genai.apple.com at this time. The subdomain certainly is a reference to “generative ai” which has been popularized by ChatGPT and Claude in recent years. Apple’s next major software releases like iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 are expected to include many new Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized version of Siri with on-screen awareness. Similar to other chatbots like ChatGPT, a dedicated Siri app will reportedly allow users to have back-and-forth conversations. Apple Intelligence will power a wide range of new accessibility features, such as automatic captions for videos recorded with an iPhone. In addition, Voice Control is …