Apple has started delivering on the promise made during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) — Apple Intelligence. It is Apple’s take on artificial intelligence-powered tasks that are sweeping through the tech industry but instead of promising users the moon and only making it to the terrace garden, Apple Intelligence is an ecosystem-wide software push that makes each device more meaningful. It also allows Apple to release software updates that take advantage of its powerful hardware.

Apple has pushed out iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 developer betas (not currently available to users), which offer the first opportunity to try out Apple Intelligence. Not all the features of Apple Intelligence are available in the developer beta but we now have a fair idea about where it’s headed.

iOS 18.1 developer beta will keep getting better over the weeks. We tried (left to right) Writing Tools, Call Recorder and summary in Mail. The Telegraph

The developer beta includes writing tools, like the ability to rewrite, proofread or summarise text. It also has new Siri improvements, such as moving seamlessly between voice and typing and maintaining context from one request to the next. One feature we are yet to use is Memory Movie (since my device has over 50,000 images, indexing files is taking time). We spent the last 24 hours experiencing some of the new features and here’s what we liked about it.

Before we started

Once we downloaded iOS 18.1 developer beta, there was an addition in the settings menu — Apple Intelligence & Siri. All the good stuff lies here but there was something that had to be tackled — a waitlist.

In India, joining the waitlist involves switching the system language to US English and the device region must be set to the US. Otherwise, one wouldn’t see the waitlist option. After joining the waitlist, we took a long coffee break of 30-odd minutes (for some, it’s taking only a few minutes) and automatically Apple Intelligence got activated. This is not a traditional waitlist.

Writing tools

I have used Samsung’s Galaxy AI tools for a few months but the results with Apple Intelligence are thus far the best I have experienced.

For instance, in Messages and Notes applications, after typing in anything, the power of Apple Intelligence can be felt. Highlight the text you want to improve on and then hit the Apple Intelligence icon. It can proofread or rewrite the text. In case it is being rewritten, you can go with a professional or friendly tone. Beyond this, you can make the text concise. Whatever option you choose, it takes a few seconds for the action to be completed, depending on how complex the text is. Each time you use the tool, the results are different. There is also the option to get a summary of a sizeable portion of text, key points, list and table.

How helpful is it? Extremely. There are moments when you write out a note or message in a huff, making the message appear cheeky. Things can be toned down before you burn bridges.

The tools also come in handy when you have to make a presentation where there is a lot of text to scrawl through. The new tools can easily summarise text or break it down into points. In simple words, making presentations will no longer be a cumbersome task.

The writing tools are not restricted to the text you create in a note or a message. You can select text online and then you will note “writing tools” next to the usual set of options. If you need the key points from, say, an article in The Atlantic, go ahead.

In some ways, this is going to become a competitor of Grammarly and it’s coming free of cost. Select any text and then choose the proofread option. You can then go through all the changes that are suggested, be it punctuation marks, missing words, verb form or spelling errors.

Hey Siri

Beyond a new animation and sound that appear when Siri, the voice assistant, is activated, it’s too early to notice every improvement and perhaps only after the introduction of the public version of iOS 18 will we know the full implications. Also, if you tap on the bottom bar of the phone, there is a sleek animation. You can ask Siri or type in your query. And Siri can follow along if users stumble over words and, very importantly, maintain context from one request to the next.

Summarise emails

In the Mail app, there is a neat Apple Intelligence functionality called ‘summarise’ and it does exactly what it suggests. I receive several newsletters, which can be long. I want to read a summary before delving deep into them. There is a ‘summarise’ option at the top of the screen and it can work its magic in a matter of seconds. The feature can also work with a regular email.

Call recording

One of the most requested features is call recording. It’s coming your way. When you call a number, there will be a new icon on top of the screen. As soon as your call is accepted, tap on the icon to begin the recording process. The person at the other end of the call will receive an audible prompt, saying the call is being recorded. You can even get a transcript of the call. You can stop the recording whenever you want without ending the call.

Remember, not everyone likes the idea of a call being recorded, so keep it for situations where a call recording and transcript could be useful, including work and legal meetings.

On this note, if you look up Privacy & Security in settings, there is a new option called Apple Intelligence Report.

Compatible iPhone?

To get iOS 18.1 developer beta features running, I needed to have iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max (not to be confused with iOS 18, which works on the iPhone XS and later). I updated my Pro Max, which took only a few minutes. Before I installed the beta, I backed up my iPhone to ensure a hassle-free experience because this is, after all, a developer beta install. You may wonder why Apple has pushed out Apple Intelligence features in developer beta. It will help the company quash bugs and test features before they become widely available.

Coming later

Not all Apple Intelligence features are in the 18.1 developer beta. Some of the big hitters that will come later are ChatGPT hook-ins, Apple’s GenMoji, Image Playground features and other Siri features.

Impact of Apple Intelligence

• Having used the writing tools functions and some features of Apple Intelligence for only a day or so, it’s tough to understand its full impact but one is sure that tools like Grammarly will have competition. The way Apple Intelligence can proofread text, the need for a paid version of Grammarly may subside. There are no limitations on the number of suggestions Apple Intelligence can make each day. Further, users don’t need a subscription to access Apple Intelligence. On the other hand, Samsung said earlier this year: “Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices”.

• So long third-party call recorders! With the new call recording feature you get clear voice files. Earlier, users had to look up to third-party apps, most of which failed to record.

• You will be working on Notes and Pages apps more than ever before when it comes to keying in documents because of the new features.

• Making presentations will become easier because it only takes a few seconds to cull important points from a tract of text.

• It will become easier for Apple to offer new features every few months.