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Latest iPhone opens the door for artificial intelligence transformation

Apple has charged into the artificial intelligence craze with a new iPhone lineup that marks the company’s latest attempt to latch onto a technology trend and transform it into a cultural phenomenon.

epa11595239 A display of the new Apple iPhone 16 models at Apple's 'Glowtime' product launch event on the campus of Apple Park in Cupertino, California, USA, 09 September 2024. The company introduced new iPhone models, the new Apple Watch Series 10, as well as new AirPods. EPA/PETER DASILVA

epa11595239 A display of the new Apple iPhone 16 models at Apple's 'Glowtime' product launch event on the campus of Apple Park in Cupertino, California, USA, 09 September 2024. The company introduced new iPhone models, the new Apple Watch Series 10, as well as new AirPods. EPA/PETER DASILVA

 

The four different iPhone 16 models will all come equipped with special chips needed to power a suite of AI tools that Apple hopes will make its marquee product even more indispensable and reverse a recent sales slump.

Apple’s AI features are designed to turn its often-blundering virtual assistant Siri into a smarter and more versatile sidekick, automate a wide range of tedious tasks and pull off other crowd-pleasing tricks such as creating customised emojis within seconds.

After receiving a standing ovation for Monday’s event, Apple CEO Tim Cook promised the AI package will unleash “innovations that will make a true difference in people’s lives.”

But the breakthroughs won’t begin as soon as the new iPhones – ranging in price from $US800 to $US1200 ($A1201-$A1801) – hit the stores on September 20.

Most of Apple’s AI functions will roll out as part of a free software updates to iOS 18, the operating system that will power the iPhone 16 rolling out from October through December.

US English will be the featured language at the launch but an update enabling other languages will come out next year, according to Apple.

Just as Apple elevated fledgling smartphones it into a must-have technology in 21st-century society, the company is betting it can do something similar with its tardy arrival to AI.

In an attempt to set itself apart from the early leaders in AI, the technology being baked into the iPhone 16 is being promoted as “Apple Intelligence.”

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“Apple could have waited another year for further development, but initial take up of AI- powered devices from the likes of Samsung has been encouraging, and Apple is keen to capitalise on this market,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore.

As it treads into new territory, Apple is trying to preserve its long-time commitment to privacy by tailoring its AI so that most of its technological tricks can processed on the device itself instead of relying on giant banks of computers located in remote data centres. When a task needs to connect to a data centre, Apple promises it will be done in a tightly-controlled way that ensures that no personal data is stored remotely.

For users seeking to access even more AI tools than being offered by the iPhone, Apple is teaming up with OpenAI to give users the option of farming out more complicated tasks to the popular ChatGPT chatbot.

Besides its latest iPhones, Apple also introduced a new version of its smartwatch that will include a feature to help detect sleep apnea as well the next generation of its wireless headphones, the AirPods Pro, that will be able to function as a hearing aid with an upcoming software update.

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