AI race speeds past Apple's release cycle

In the technology industry, it is customary for new versions of operating systems and hardware to appear every year. Apple has embraced this strategy, releasing new iPhone models and iOS versions almost every 12 months. The company treats its operating system as a package of proprietary applications, and each new version of iOS brings updates to programs such as Safari, iMessage, Apple Music, Maps, and others.

However, this policy has a downside. Significant innovations have to wait for a predetermined release date. For example, if Apple finishes work on a groundbreaking new version of its browser, users will only see it in September, along with other new features. This solution has worked because technological development has been more evolutionary than revolutionary.

Generative AI has changed everything. In February 2024, Google released the Gemini application with a built-in chatbot that competes directly with ChatGPT. This is now Google's flagship product and other applications and services are slowly being integrated.

However, it is worth noting the timing of Gemini's debut. The creators did not wait for the annual Google I/O conference or the release of the new version of Android. The program reached users as quickly as possible because Google understands that every day can matter in the era of dynamic AI development.

On 14 May, Google presented a new version of Gemini that enables conversations with AI about images captured by the camera in real-time. Just a day earlier, on 13 May, OpenAI showed a similar feature in ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Microsoft has scheduled its AI-focused conference for 20 May.

This clearly shows that today's companies are striving to introduce innovations as quickly as possible and immediately respond to competitors' actions. However, not everyone follows this trend.

The new version of iOS will be presented in June, and users will be able to download it in September—a release cycle Apple introduced in 2012. Now, it seems this approach is starting to hinder the company. Everyone is talking about AI and expecting Apple to present its solutions finally, but the company has to wait until June.

Even Apple itself doesn't seem satisfied with this situation. Tim Cook has been assuring investors for months that work on AI is ongoing. During the release of the new iPad Pro, AI features that will appear in the future were vaguely mentioned; some intelligent features of iOS 18 have been announced in advance. High-ranking company employees claim that the June conference will be impressive, and it's getting harder for them to refrain from commenting on AI when asked about it.

Even when users receive iOS 18 with generative artificial intelligence in September, the problem won't be entirely resolved, as they will have to wait another year for the following groundbreaking changes. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg believes that to keep up with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, Apple will need to introduce new, significant features much faster. The journalist adds that this will be enabled partly by cloud-based AI features, but Apple does not plan to accelerate the iOS release cycle, at least in the coming year.

The WWDC 2024 conference, which is supposed to be dedicated to AI features in iOS 18, is scheduled for 10 June.