September 14th 2024.
Apple recently unveiled their latest iPhones at a marketing event on Monday, and at first glance, they may seem identical to last year's models. However, the company is banking on the new software underneath the surface to convince people to upgrade. This new software, known as Apple Intelligence, brings artificial intelligence capabilities to the new phones, automating tasks such as generating images, rewriting emails, and summarizing web articles. Unfortunately, only the new iPhone 16s or last year's iPhone 15 Pro can run this software, as older models are not equipped to handle these tasks. The starting price for the faster iPhone 16 devices is $800, and they will be available in stores later this month. But, what if I told you there was another way to enjoy the same benefits without having to upgrade?
Long before Apple's announcement of Apple Intelligence at a software conference in June, there were already numerous apps available for automatically producing text and images. These apps utilize generative AI technology, which predicts which words and images go together to create a catchy poem or a realistic image of, say, a cat on a windowsill. These types of services have been on-trend for the past two years and have been widely accessible to users.
When asked for a comment, Apple did not immediately respond. However, there is a way for iPhone owners to enjoy similar benefits and keep their older devices for longer. After testing numerous generative AI apps over the past year, here are my recommendations.
Summarizing Text
One of the most highly anticipated features of Apple Intelligence is its ability to take large blocks of text and condense them into a few sentences. This feature could be useful for summarizing lengthy web articles or lecture notes. However, there is already a popular tool for this task called Arc Search. It is a free browser developed by a startup, and to test it, I loaded an 8,000-word feature from ProPublica about a chemist who exposed the manufacturer 3M. With a simple pinch of the screen, the app generated a one-sentence overview of the article followed by three bullet points summarizing the main highlights. While the bullet points may have left out some crucial details, the overall summary was accurate.
For summarizing notes, Humata AI is a popular choice among academic researchers and lawyers. By visiting Humata.ai on a web browser, users can upload a document such as a PDF and type in requests to ask a chatbot to summarize the most important points. The chatbot will then highlight relevant portions of the text, making it easier to digest.
Writing Tools
Apple Intelligence also includes tools for rewriting text, such as making an email sound more professional. Several free apps can handle this task efficiently, including the well-known ChatGPT chatbot from OpenAI, along with rivals like Gemini from Google and Bing AI from Microsoft, all available for download on the App Store. Users can simply paste the text into the app and ask the chatbot to rewrite it in a different tone, for example, "Make this email sound more personable for a client I've known for many years."
My personal favorite tool for writing is Wordtune, by the startup AI21 Labs. Its user-friendly interface, accessible on wordtune.com, resembles a word processor, making it easier to compose and edit text. Users can type in a paragraph and click on buttons to expand, shorten, or rewrite sentences to sound more casual or formal. The app will then present a list of rewritten sentences to choose from.
Image Generation
Another hyped feature of Apple Intelligence is its ability to generate fun images, such as an emoji of yourself eating pizza, to send to friends. Several options for generating images already exist, including one that most iPhone users likely already have: Meta AI, Meta's chatbot that comes included in popular apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. By typing "/imagine" followed by a description in the search bar of Instagram, the chatbot will conjure up an image based on the request. For example, I typed in "imagine me eating steak," and the app loaded a tool to take multiple photos of my face and produce a funny rendering of me salivating over a large steak in a restaurant.
Other similar tools for generating images include Adobe Firefly, found on firefly.adobe.com, and ChatGPT.
Photo Editing
Apple Intelligence also offers a tool to automatically remove photo bombers with just a tap of a button. However, Google has been offering a similar editing tool, Magic Eraser, inside its Google Photos app for iPhone and Android users since 2023. Inside Google Photos, users can select a photo, tap the "edit" button, and choose the Magic Eraser tool. From there, they can circle the distracting objects or people they want to remove. I tested this tool on a photo of my corgi, Max, in a dog park, and it successfully removed a citation form from a police officer for letting Max run off leash without a permit. It replaced the bureaucratic element with some pine needles, much to my delight.
In conclusion, while Apple's new suite of AI services may seem impressive, there are already several accessible options for users to enjoy similar benefits and keep their older devices for longer. By utilizing generative AI technology, these apps can help with tasks like summarizing text, rewriting emails, generating images, and editing photos. So, before upgrading to the latest iPhone, consider giving these apps a try. Who knows, they might just surprise you.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
