(NEXSTAR) – Apple is giving some customers an early look at AI features it hopes will make Apple Intelligence a monumental development for its family of devices.
Apple gave a glimpse into the new tech, which includes a revamped Siri, new writing tools and changes to how you search for photos, through the developer beta version of iOS 18.1.
Unfortunately, there’s a catch – the update isn’t available to all.
To test drive what may become your favorite new iPhone features, you’ll need to have a device with a special chip – the only iPhones that have it are the 15 Pro Max and the 15 Pro. Apple adds that “both device language and Siri language must be set to U.S. English, and the device region must be set to United States.”
To turn on Apple Intelligence, you’ll need to do the following:
- Update to iOS 18.1 beta
- Open the Settings app
- Select Apple Intelligence and Siri
- Tap the option to add yourself to the Apple Intelligence waitlist
You’ll then have to wait until Apple notifies you that Apple Intelligence is available on your iPhone.
The new software is also available on iPads, iMacs and Mac minis running M1 and later; Mac Studio with M1 Max and later; and Mac Pro with M2 Ultra.
What can you do with Apple Intelligence?
Billing it as “AI for the rest of us,” Apple is advertising a more capable Siri that projects a glowing light around the edge of the phone as she goes to work. Siri will be able to search for things on devices and across installed apps, among other improvements.
Apple also created Writing Tools, which can proofread, rewrite text and summarize passages. With the touch of a button, the tone can be changed between friendly, professional and concise.
The AI tools can also make new emojis by typing in a description of what you want to see. Using Apple Intelligence you can also create custom images, including personalized images of people in your photo library.
Apple Intelligence will also be able to analyze photos and the people in them, allowing users to ask for pics or even a stitched-together movie based on a prompt such as “last summer in our garden.”
The full suite of Apple Intelligence tools is scheduled to come out in a software update this fall.
The next model, the iPhone 16, is expected to be equipped with the AI chip — a factor that analysts believe will spur consumers who have been holding on to their older devices to splurge on upgrades so they can take advantage of the new features. That expectation is the main reason why Apple’s stock price has surged 13% since the company previewed its AI tools in early June — a run-up that has created about $400 billion in shareholder wealth so far.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.