In September 2025, Apple unveiled its latest smartphone lineup: the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and a new thinner model dubbed the iPhone Air. The “Air” branding evokes the MacBook Air and iPad Air, while also recalling the earlier era when manufacturers competed to produce the thinnest smartphones. But in today’s AI-driven market, it’s not the thinness of the device that matters most — it’s what the software can do.
On that front, Apple is still playing catch-up. During the iPhone 17 event, references to AI were scarce. The company mostly reiterated announcements from June’s WWDC, like Visual Intelligence and on-device models, alongside modest AI-powered camera updates such as Center Stage for the front camera. The most compelling AI upgrade wasn’t even for the iPhone — it was the real-time Live Translation feature for AirPods 3. Siri, meanwhile, wasn’t mentioned at all.
By contrast, Google just launched its Pixel 10 smartphone with a fully AI-powered assistant. Apple fans, however, won’t see an AI-enhanced Siri until 2026. For now, iPhones only include baseline AI features: text-writing tools, summarization, generative images (often criticized for quality), live translation, visual search, and Genmoji, among others. What’s still missing is a digital assistant that can understand broad queries natively — without deferring to ChatGPT — or deliver deeper context from within iPhone apps.
Outsourcing AI: risk or opportunity?
Recent reports suggest Apple may turn to third parties like Google Gemini to power an upgraded Siri. At first glance, this delay — and reliance on external partners — could be seen as a weakness. But for users, it could actually be a major advantage.
Many iPhone owners already prefer Google services over Apple’s: Gmail instead of Mail, Google Drive over iCloud, Google Maps over Apple Maps, and Chrome over Safari. They even turn to Google Search instead of Apple’s built-in Spotlight. So why not also use Google’s AI directly on iPhone?
If Apple integrates a partner’s AI technology natively into its devices, the result could feel more seamless than using a standalone app. Apple would also avoid massive infrastructure costs, while still delivering cutting-edge AI experiences. And because the AI field evolves rapidly, Apple would retain the flexibility to swap models or expand support to others like Anthropic or OpenAI as technology shifts.
Apple’s enduring advantage: design and hardware
Apple doesn’t need to abandon its greatest strength: world-class hardware. The company can continue to focus on industrial design, top-tier cameras, privacy-first software, and new innovations like Liquid Glass — all while offering ultra-thin devices that consumers crave.
In this scenario, Apple could position itself as a hardware-first brand, with best-in-class AI available through partnerships. Buyers would still upgrade for the sleek design and build quality, while enjoying the latest AI features without compromise.
Of course, this vision depends on Apple following through — either by integrating a partner’s model or acquiring an AI company. If Apple sticks solely with its slower “Apple Intelligence” roadmap, the outcome may be different. But for now, Apple seems poised to deliver the best of both worlds: the hardware people already love, paired with AI that matches the competition.
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