Apple Intelligence is already available in iOS 18.1 beta in some markets. Apple’s suite of genAI features will start rolling out to iPhone 15 Pros and iPhone 16 models this fall. iPads and Macs that run on M1 chips or later will also support Apple Intelligence. Apple will continue to update Apple Intelligence on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac throughout the coming year. Some features, like the advanced Siri AI functionality, will seemingly not be ready until 2025.
All that means Apple can’t start charging for Apple Intelligence on iPhones and other compatible devices. From the looks of it, the AI features will still feel like they’re in testing, and Apple will need time to get where it wants to be with Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.
Even still, some people expect Apple to eventually monetize Apple Intelligence by locking certain features to a subscription. But you might not have to worry about paying extra for Apple Intelligence anytime soon. A reliable insider says Apple won’t charge for some Apple Intelligence features until 2027 at the earliest.
Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter (via 9to5Mac) that he expects Apple to build more advanced features on top of those in iOS 18. Apple could start charging for those features, which will arrive via future iOS upgrades.
Gurman said Apple needs more time until it can charge for Apple Intelligence. It could take at least three years for Apple to come up with something worth charging for in a “best-case scenario.” It might take even longer.
I often said that I’m willing to pay for the costs related to genAI functionality. I want good, dependable AI that’s also private by design. That can’t come free of charge. However, I also think Apple Intelligence can’t cost extra, certainly not right now.
Apple is still playing catch-up compared to rivals, so it can’t afford to charge for a suite of genAI features that’s not even ready. The Siri AI-enhanced experience we saw at WWDC won’t even be available until sometime next year.
More importantly, most Apple Intelligence features will work on-device. That’s where most features will be processed, which is great for privacy. We’re already paying for the expensive iPhones, iPads, and Macs that are needed to run Apple Intelligence. A subscription price would not feel right in the current landscape.
Also, remember that Apple wants to bring uniform iOS, iPadOS, and macOS experiences to as many devices as possible. I believe that will apply to Apple Intelligence in the future. Since most Apple Intelligence features are on-device, it wouldn’t be a great idea to lock them behind a subscription.
There’s also pressure from rivals like Google and Samsung, which already offer genAI features on their devices without a subscription. The privacy of those features might not be as good as Apple’s, but some people won’t care about that.
Finally, Apple still lacks a chatbot. That’s why it needs ChatGPT in iOS 18. Some of your questions will go to ChatGPT instead of Siri. Apple can’t possibly start charging for Apple Intelligence until its chatbot is out. A chatbot might require server-side processing for most requests, which will incur additional costs. Apple might have to pass some of that on to the user.
Gurman doesn’t detail the kind of future Apple Intelligence that will require a subscription. But I already have something in mind for the future of AI on Apple devices.
I said I was ready to pay for a particular type of Apple Intelligence experience that I expected Apple to deliver. That’s a smart Siri AI assistant that works across all my devices and knows everything about me. That assistant would not just answer any questions in a conversational manner (think ChatGPT Voice Mode); it’ll also let me control the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro by voice better than ever.
Once we reach that point, Apple’s operating systems will be centered around AI with strong privacy at the core. I’m looking forward to AI operating systems like the one imagined in the movie Her. I’ll happily pay a subscription for that kind of functionality.
