After last year’s underwhelming AI debut—marked by missing features and a disappointing Siri—Apple had everything to prove in 2025. This year’s WWDC was its moment to show the world it’s not just catching up, but aiming to lead in the AI race.
With Apple Intelligence, the company is making bold moves across devices, offering smarter, faster, and more private AI experiences. From real-time language translation to on-device image creation, here’s everything Apple announced.
1. Live Translation in Real Time
Say goodbye to language barriers. With Live Translation, you can now carry out full conversations across different languages during Messages, FaceTime, and even regular phone calls. Everything happens on-device, ensuring your conversations stay private.
- Messages: Translate text as you type.
- FaceTime: Displays live captions with real-time translations.
- Phone Calls: Speaks out the translation during the call.
Whether you’re traveling or texting friends abroad, this is a game-changer.
2. Visual Intelligence That Understands What You See
Apple Intelligence now understands your screen. For example:
- Shopping? Take a screenshot, and it’ll find similar products online.
- Received an event invite? It’ll suggest adding it to Calendar and autofill the time, location, and date.
Even better, you can ask ChatGPT for more information about what’s on your screen—right within the Apple interface.
3. Genmoji and Image Playground
Apple is taking expressive visuals to the next level.
- Genmoji: Type a description or blend multiple emojis to generate your own custom emoji.
- Customization: Tweak hairstyle, expressions, and other elements.
- Image Playground: Create AI images in styles like oil painting, vector art, or go wild with the new “Any Style” option powered by ChatGPT.
This makes creating content fun, personal, and imaginative.
4. Workout Buddy on Apple Watch
Workout Buddy is a new AI coach built into the Apple Watch. It analyzes your fitness history—heart rate, pace, and distance—and provides real-time voice feedback based on your progress.
It utilizes a new text-to-speech model trained with the voices of Fitness+ trainers, resulting in feedback that sounds human and motivating. It’s private and runs entirely on-device. It supports popular workout types like runs, walks, cycling, HIIT, and strength training.
5. Smarter Shortcuts with Intelligent Actions
Shortcuts now get a massive upgrade with AI-powered Intelligent Actions. You can:
- Summarize documents
- Generate visuals
- Compare notes
- Automate daily tasks
Students, for example, can create shortcuts that check lecture notes against transcripts and fill in missing information. You can even integrate ChatGPT into specific parts of your workflow.
6. Developers Get Access to On-Device AI
For the first time, third-party developers can access Apple’s on-device foundation model to build smarter apps.
- Build natural language search, quizzes, or offline AI tools.
- No cloud APIs or fees—just integrate the Foundation Models framework using Swift.
- Privacy-focused: Everything runs on-device unless extra compute is needed.
This could open the floodgates to powerful new iOS, iPadOS, and macOS apps.
7. AI-Powered Built-In Apps
Apple Intelligence is now part of several default apps:
- Mail: Shows previews, summaries, and smart replies.
- Messages: Suggests polls, adds fun backgrounds, and helps generate replies.
- Reminders: Pick out actions from emails or notes and turn them into tasks.
- Wallet: Scans your email for order tracking information and provides you with full delivery details in one place.
These enhancements make everyday tasks smoother and more intuitive.
8. Broader Language Support
Apple Intelligence is expanding globally. At launch, it supports: English, French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.
Coming later in 2025: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese.
More languages mean more users can experience features like Live Translation, Genmoji, and AI Writing Tools in their native language.
9. Privacy-First Approach with Private Cloud Compute
Apple Intelligence is built with privacy at its core. Most tasks run entirely on-device. When more power is needed, Private Cloud Compute kicks in—Apple’s secure cloud system that never stores your data.
Experts can inspect this system, and Apple promises no data is kept or linked to you. This approach is a major step forward for private AI.
Availability and Device Compatibility
Apple Intelligence is currently in beta for developers and will be rolled out to users this fall. You’ll need:
- iPhone 16 models or iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max
- iPads with A17 Pro or M1 chip and later
- Macs with M1 chip and later
If your device qualifies, you’re in for a powerful upgrade.
Apple’s AI Leap: Not Just Catching Up—Leaping Ahead
With Apple Intelligence, the company is doing more than fixing past mistakes. It’s laying the groundwork for an AI future that’s fast, useful, and—most importantly—private.
From personalized AI-generated emojis to real-time translations and on-device coaching, Apple has blended performance and privacy like no other tech company in 2025.
Let us know in the comments: Which Apple Intelligence feature are you most excited to try?
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