Apple's iPhone 16 To Get Turbocharged Siri With Exclusive On-Device AI Features

Apple Inc.'s AAPL iPhone 16 is expected to get a turbocharged Siri and the Tim Cook-led company has already begun active development of this feature.

What Happened: Apple is reportedly developing a supercharged AI-powered Siri for the iPhone 16 as the AI race heats up with rivals Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) GOOGL Google and Microsoft Corp. MSFT racing ahead with Bard and Bing AI, respectively.

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Although Apple has been reluctant about participating in the AI buzz this year, kickstarted with the Microsoft-backed OpenAI, the Tim Cook-led company is quietly developing its own consumer-facing AI solutions.

According to tipster Revegnus, Apple will launch a completely revamped version of Siri with the iPhone 16 and iOS 18. The new Siri will retain the familiarity of its predecessor while gaining AI-powered smart features.

However, there is a catch – while Siri will offer AI features, only the iPhone 16 will come with on-device AI. Older iPhones, including the just-launched iPhone 15, will get only cloud-based AI features.

For users, this means Siri's AI features will consume less power and data on iPhone 16, while older iPhones will need an active internet connection.

A previous report suggested that Apple could use generative AI to power Siri, but it was not clear if the company would use on-device, cloud-based or a hybrid solution. Now we know Apple will adopt the hybrid approach.

Why It Matters: Apple has remained mum on AI despite its rivals Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, jumping on the hype train. During its latest earnings call, Cook said AI is a "fundamental technology", but did not elaborate on this more.

With that said, Apple is no stranger to AI: it has been using machine learning across the company in various products, including iPhones and iPads, Macs, and more.

Morgan Stanley analysts also believe Apple is the best placed to make the most from AI going mainstream. The analysts say Apple's suite of hardware, software, and services offer the company a lucrative chance to capitalize on the surge in AI adoption.

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Image – Apple