The major Apple event of the year is happening tomorrow (September 9), where the new iPhone 16 will make its debut. But how will Apple’s latest device, packed with advanced Apple Intelligence features, stack up against the top offerings from Samsung and Google?
With the Google Pixel 9 launching last month and the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup dominating best phone lists throughout the year (including ours), Apple faces a significant challenge to maintain its competitive edge.
Regardless of how impressive the new hardware turns out to be, the real battleground for Google, Samsung, and Apple will be in the realm of AI. After spending a few weeks with Gemini Live, I’ve identified the top five ways Apple could potentially reclaim the AI crown from its competitors.
- Enhance Siri’s Integration with the Mobile OS:
To make Siri truly stand out, Apple needs to ensure it integrates seamlessly with the entire phone experience. It’s not enough for Siri to simply chat about star signs; it should also connect with your calendar app to check your availability for a date on Thursday night. Currently, Google has yet to release the extensions needed for Gemini to fully integrate with Google Calendar, which leaves Gemini Live responding with, “I can’t use your Google Calendar when we’re live, yet.” Although a fully revamped Siri 2.0 might not be available until 2025, Apple could still surprise us with a more integrated experience sooner.
- Seamless ChatGPT Integration:
Gemini’s edge might be its use of a single virtual assistant, while Apple plans for Siri to hand off complex queries to ChatGPT. This could work well if the integration is smooth, but we’ll need to test it to be sure. Currently, the Google Pixel relies heavily on Google Assistant, and the integration with Gemini isn’t perfect—launching Gemini Live still requires saying “Hey, Google” and navigating through a few steps. Apple has a good chance to get this right from the start, though Google might catch up as Gemini evolves.
- Improved macOS Integration:
While Google has integrated Gemini into the Chrome address bar, there’s still no direct connection between Gemini on your phone and your computer. Given that Apple controls both hardware and software within its ecosystem, Apple Intelligence running on both macOS and iOS should offer more cohesive integration. Ideally, you’d be able to use your iPhone to control your Mac, which doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
- Offer Siri 2.0 for Free:
There was speculation about Apple potentially charging for Apple Intelligence features, but insider Mark Gurman reports that Apple will not impose fees for these features until at least 2027. In contrast, Google offers a year of Gemini Advanced for free with Pixel 9 purchases, but after that, it costs $20 (£18.99, AU$32.99) per month. Apple could win on this front by keeping Siri 2.0 free, making it more appealing compared to Google’s pricing model.
- Avoid Delays:
It seems the iPhone 16 might not launch with Apple Intelligence. According to Gurman, we may have to wait until iOS 18.1 for Apple Intelligence and until early 2025 for the full Siri 2.0 experience. While integrating AI into a compact device like a smartphone is challenging, Apple had a chance to gain momentum from Google, which is already shipping Gemini Live, albeit in a limited form. If Apple Intelligence is rolled out in phases, it might be a letdown, but there’s still hope for some surprising developments tomorrow.
