Sorry, Apple. AI Isn’t Enough to Get Me to Upgrade to the iPhone 16

Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro this week at its Glowtime event, and they’re sporting some new buttons, AI capabilities and colors. And because it’s a tech event in the year 2024, we did see how the new devices will be powered by Apple’s AI, Apple Intelligence. 

Surprisingly, Apple spent most of its event time talking about hardware, not AI. We first heard about Apple Intelligence in June at the company’s developers conference and have gotten to see previews of it using the iOS 18 betas. When it was first announced, I praised Apple for taking a more pragmatic approach to generative AI. Apple’s AI will include a text summary tool, email integrations, image personalization, and as we found out this week, its new “visual intelligence” will let you use your camera to scan the world around you to get information quickly.

But I was also heartbroken to learn that I’d have to spend some serious cash for even the possibility of getting my hands on Apple’s AI at launch.

Apple Intelligence, rumored to be released in October as an update to iOS 18, will primarily run on-device, not on a cloud server, though the company said some tasks will have to be sent to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute system. While that means Apple may have a better shot at keeping your information private, it will also require top-of-the-line processing power. For now, the only iPhones that will have enough firepower to run Apple’s AI will be the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and the new iPhone 16 lineup. (Monday also marked the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, and we got the new Apple Watch Series 10, a new black finish for the Watch Ultra 2, plus a slew of new AirPods 4 and AirPod Max.) 

That’s disappointing for folks like me who may want to try out Apple AI but don’t want to break the bank with an upgrade. A new CNET survey found that a quarter of American smartphone users don’t find AI features helpful. Only 18% of smartphone users cite AI integrations as their motivation to upgrade their devices.

There are certainly other reasons to upgrade to the iPhone 16. Its new capture camera button makes it easier to access your camera and use new cinematic modes and editing settings. It’s got the new A18 chip with Apple’s most advanced neural engine, which Apple says gives it 30% more gaming power. (It’s also part of what makes it possible for the device to run Apple AI.) Plus, you might just be itching for an upgraded camera and battery life, both of which the 16 promises. 

For me, I know that any upgrade from my current iPhone 11 will be a massive improvement in camera quality, battery life and computing power. So the question becomes, do I really need the latest, greatest and most expensive model, just so I can get Apple AI on top of all that? The answer, for me at least, is probably no. And for people in similar situations, Apple AI might not be the essential feature Apple hopes it is.

As my colleague Andrew Lanxon pointed out, mobile AI is the next battleground for smartphones. Apple’s slow start with AI might help it avoid major issues, but it also means there isn’t a blockbuster or must-have AI tool that I feel like I can’t live without. There’s no FOMO, partially because the capabilities are somewhat boring, and mostly because access to the AI is so limited. Apple’s pragmatic approach is a double-edged sword; it’s playing it safe in a treacherous landscape, but it’s not enough to convince me I can’t live without it.