Apple May Introduce Monthly Fee for iPhone AI Upgrades, but Users Push Back

APPLE’s highly anticipated AI features for iPhone may not all be free, as fans had hoped.

The tech giant created a buzz in June when it announced Apple Intelligence, introducing a range of significant changes and new features.

Siri, the 13-year-old voice assistant, is set to receive an upgrade with ChatGPT integration. This will enable Siri to prioritize your notifications based on your habits and proof-read and summarize your written content.

Most of these changes are expected to arrive with the free iOS 18 update later this year. However, analysts have cautioned that some premium Apple Intelligence features may come with a price tag.

Experts suggest that users might need to pay as much as $20 / £15 per month to access these advanced features.

One possible approach could involve bundling these features into the Apple One subscription plan, which currently includes Apple Music, iCloud storage, and Apple TV+.

“Software and services make it more lucrative for Apple to pass it on with the Apple One subscription model,” Neil Shah, from Counterpoint Research, told CNBC.

However, iPhone fans are not pleased with the idea, with many expressing their refusal to pay for extras.

“I won’t pay a dime for that,” one user commented.

Other tech companies are already charging for premium AI features. For example, Google’s Gemini AI offers an advanced tier that requires payment, and Samsung is considering charging for its Galaxy AI features, although they have pledged to keep them free until the end of 2025.

Apple’s services division, which includes subscriptions to platforms like Apple Music and iCloud, has become one of the company’s most profitable segments, generating $24.2 billion / £18.8 billion in the last quarter alone.

“Apple is one of the few connected devices companies that has successfully monetized the value-added services it offers,” Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, told CNBC. “As a result, it has set a precedent with its users that they have to pay for more premium services. On this basis, it can’t be ruled out that Apple may choose to charge for more advanced features within its Apple Intelligence offering.”

Apple is expected to launch brand new iPhones in September, the month when the firm traditionally unveils its latest handsets to the world.