Apple enthusiasts hoping to experience the full power of Apple Intelligence on their Vision Pro headsets may have to wait a bit longer. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that while Apple Intelligence is indeed coming to the mixed reality device, it won’t arrive until 2025. This news is tempered by the additional revelation that some features within Apple Intelligence might eventually require a separate paid subscription.
Apple Intelligence, unveiled earlier this year at WWDC 2024, promises a suite of AI-powered features designed to enhance the user experience across Apple devices. This includes a more robust Siri integration, advanced writing assistants, and Genmoji, a tool for creating personalised avatars.
The Vision Pro, going by its specs, seems to have the muscle to run Apple Intelligence smoothly. However, the challenge lies in creating a user interface that seamlessly integrates these features into the headset’s unique spatial environment. Apple developers are said to be working on it.
The potential for a paywall surrounding certain Apple Intelligence features comes as a surprise. Apple has positioned Intelligence as a core software offering for its ecosystem. Exactly which features might be locked behind a subscription remains unclear, but it could potentially limit access to advanced writing tools or functionalities within Genmoji creation.
Gurman says that Apple is facing slower hardware upgrades which is why it’s banking more on service fees and subscriptions for growth. This explains why Apple is fiercely defending its App Store earnings, despite regulatory scrutiny as it’s crucial for future revenue. Apple sees potential in turning AI features and other software into paid services, but this transition will take time. While Apple Intelligence starts free, the goal is to eventually monetise its capabilities. They might introduce something like “Apple Intelligence+” with extra features users pay monthly for, similar to iCloud.
