Apple Intelligence: Apple will not charge for features until at least 2027

August 13, 2024

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple will probably not charge for Apple Intelligence features until 2027, as the technology is still in early development.

Gurman estimates that it will take about three years for Apple to create a product that is compelling and useful enough to be worth charging for. Even that, though, may be the "best-case scenario."

Gurman suggests that Apple's long-term plan includes developing an "Apple Intelligence+," a service that would offer additional paid features, similar to the strategy it has with iCloud+.

Just as iCloud offers 5 GB of free storage with a subscription option for more features, Apple Intelligence could offer basic free access with the option to pay for advanced features.

This subscription service could be integrated into existing iCloud+ or Apple One plans. For example, Apple One includes services like Apple TV+, Apple Music, and iCloud+ for a monthly fee of $19.95, and Apple Intelligence could be added to that subscription.

The first Apple Intelligence features, such as writing tools, Siri enhancements and smart replies to Messages, are already available in beta versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. However, more advanced features, such as Image Playground and Genmoji, are not expected to be released until 2024 or 2025.

In addition, the full release and expansion of these features to more countries and languages, including China and the European Union, may take until 2027 or more.