Apple Intelligence Revamped - Part 1
iOS 18.2 and MacOS Sequoia 15.2
I’ve now installed the second beta batch with Apple Intelligence, version 18.2 on the iPhone and version 15.2 on the Mac and have been playing with additional Apple Intelligence features introduced in this version. This version will be released to the general public around December 2024.
More languages
I had tested the first Beta of Apple Intelligence (iOS 18.1 and MacOS 15.1) with English U.S., the only language enabling Intelligence features. When the new beta was installed, I immediately switched my system language and Apple Intelligence language to English UK, which is my preferred language. This did not require much, except for the system loading some additional resources.
Integration with ChatGPT
This is probably one of the most eagerly waited feature in the new Intelligence features. Although the Apple Intelligence concept gives you an on-device Large Language Model which poses no security risk and complements it with secure servers at Apple’s premises, one might always need to perform more powerful tasks and as such would have to go to one of the more powerful models. In this case, Apple’s integration with ChatGPT enables the user to - optionally - go to ChatGPT as required.
This feature is enabled by playing with some settings under Apple Intelligence & Siri under Settings.
The next screen lets the user download or update the official ChatGPT application as well as setting it up.
ChatGPT can also be used with an existing account, thus giving the user more power, especially when the user has a paid account, thus enabling the use of the more powerful OpenAI models through that paid account. Using an account also enables ChatGPT to store the prompts and results.
On the contrary, one can use ChatGPT without an account, in which case ChatGPT does not store the prompts and results, does not use any of the data for training purposes.
Once ChatGPT is set up, you will now gain access to all Writing Tools, including a Compose functionality. The other features are for rewriting an existing text, but Compose is basically an interface to ChatGPT. The best thing is that you can use this in any application that enables text entry. I tried it within the Notes application.
Compose basically gives you a ChatGPT dialog as in the native application.
ChatGPT comes up with your request, but also alternatives to refine the answer.
Visual Intelligence
This feature can be reached through the Camera application by pressing the Camera Control button, so it is limited to iPhone 16 users. Once the view opens up you can point to objects, text, images or anything, in fact.
In the image below, the view shows a coffee cup, a small piece of tissue and an empty soda water bottle.
You can follow two basic paths: You can pass the image to OpenAI GPT models and ask the model to describe the image, thus getting something like the explanation below.
Alternatively, the image can be sent to Google to find images similar to it.
