Everyone has their eyes on Apple Intelligence, the most revolutionary software from Apple in years, adding a whole range of artificial intelligence features to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The question everyone has is when will they start charging for this AI.
Recently, an analyst told us that Apple could charge up to $20 per month for some Apple Intelligence features; however, another reputable Apple observer now claims that these paid features will probably take years to arrive.
Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg (via Apple Insider), states that Apple is likely not going to charge for this first wave of Apple Intelligence features. However, he adds that it is possible that over time we may see more advanced features for which Apple can justify asking users to pay.
Three years of free features, for now
But Mark Gurman says that for those more advanced features, it will probably take at least three more years, which means that Apple device users won’t have to pay anything for Apple Intelligence until at least 2027.
Even then, the existing set of Apple’s Intelligence features will likely remain free, so you will probably be able to use much of Apple’s AI without ever having to pay a subscription.
Mark Gurman does not say what the most advanced payment features could be, but Apple Insider speculates that they could be targeted at corporate users, the education sector, or specialized users, in which case they could be things that the average user would not want or need anyway.
Regarding Apple’s initial wave of Intelligence features, they are expected to land in October or around that time, shortly after the release of the iPhone 16 lineup, and will include a major update to Siri to make it smarter and more conversational, along with generative AI tools for things like image creation and editing, writing, and organization.
We won’t have to wait long, and it is expected that other features, such as integration with ChatGPT, will be deployed by the end of this year and early 2025, at which point we should have a clearer idea of the features for which Apple plans to charge users.
