Don’t worry – paid Apple Intelligence features are reportedly years away

Apple Intelligence is set to be one of the most exciting updates to Apple’s software in years, adding a whole range of AI features to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. But it could also come at a cost – at least eventually.

Recently we heard from an analyst that Apple might look to charge as much as $20 per month for some Apple Intelligence features; however, another reputable Apple-watcher now claims these paid features are probably years away.

Mark Gurman, writing in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg (via Apple Insider), has claimed that Apple probably won’t charge for this first wave of Apple Intelligence features. He adds, though, that we might eventually see more advanced features that Apple can justify asking users to pay for.

Three years of free features

A screenshot of Apple Intelligence features from WWDC

A selection of things Apple Intelligence can do (Image credit: Apple)

But Gurman says those more advanced features are probably at least three years away – meaning that users of Apple devices may not have to pay anything for Apple Intelligence until at least 2027.

Even then, the existing suite of Apple Intelligence features will likely stay free, so you’ll probably be able to use much of Apple’s take on AI without ever paying for a subscription.

Gurman doesn’t say what the more advanced, paid-for features might be, but Apple Insider speculates that they could be aimed at corporate users, the education sector, or specialized users, in which case they might be things that the average person wouldn’t want or need anyway.

As for the initial wave of Apple Intelligence features, those are expected to land in or around October – shortly after the launch of the iPhone 16 line – and will include a major upgrade to Siri to make it smarter and more conversational, along with generative AI tools for things like image creation and editing, writing, and organization.

So there’s not long to wait for these, and additional features – including ChatGPT integration – are expected to roll out later this year and into early 2025, by which time we should have a better idea of which features, if any, Apple plans to charge users for.

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