iPhone 15 & 15 Plus Miss Out on Apple Intelligence, But Is Android Ahead?

Apple’s latest iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, released in September 2023, surprisingly won’t be receiving the much-anticipated Apple Intelligence feature. This AI-powered system promises to personalize your iPhone experience with smarter features and a more intuitive interface. While the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will benefit from Apple Intelligence, some users are questioning the decision to exclude the standard models.

What is Apple Intelligence?

Apple Intelligence leverages on-device machine learning to personalize your iPhone experience. It aims to understand how you use your device and anticipate your needs. This could include features like:

• Proactive suggestions: Anticipate your next actions and offer suggestions for apps, contacts, or actions.
• Smarter search: Improve search results based on your past behavior and context.
• Enhanced automation: Automate tasks based on your usage patterns.

Why Did the Standard iPhone 15 series Miss Out?

Apple hasn’t officially commented on the reason behind excluding the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus from Apple Intelligence, it only stated that the A17 Pro or later can handle AI capabilities. However, some speculate it might be due to:

• Processing Power: Apple Intelligence might require more processing power than the standard iPhones possess.
• Battery Life: Running AI algorithms in the background could potentially impact battery life, which Apple might want to prioritize in the standard models.
• Marketing Strategy: This could be a way to differentiate the Pro models and incentivize upgrading.

A Look at the Competition: Galaxy S21 with Galaxy AI

For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series, released in early 2021, still receives updates to its AI assistant, Bixby, through the Galaxy AI platform. This suggests that even older Android phones can benefit from ongoing AI advancements.

Is This a Missed Opportunity for Apple?

While Apple offers a robust ecosystem, some users might feel left behind without Apple Intelligence on the standard iPhones. This could be a point for Android to capitalize on, especially if they can demonstrate strong AI features on older devices. This can be a golden opportunity for Samsung, Oppo and others to capitalize as they are promising AI support on smartphones 2 or 3 generations before.

The Future of AI on Smartphones

The integration of AI into smartphones is still evolving. It will be interesting to see how Apple addresses the exclusion of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus from Apple Intelligence in future iterations. Will they find a way to optimize the feature for all models, or will it remain a Pro exclusive? We’ll have to wait and see how Apple and its competitors approach AI features in their upcoming devices.