Apple is set to bring Visual Intelligence, a feature similar to Google Lens, to the iPhone 15 Pro through a future software update, as confirmed by Apple representatives to John Gruber of Daring Fireball.
Apple to introduce Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro
Visual Intelligence was first introduced with the iPhone 16 series in September. Initially, it was designed to be accessed via the Camera Control button. However, it was recently announced that the feature would also be available on the iPhone 16E, which lacks this button, and will instead be accessible through its Action Button.
This development indicated that the iPhone 15 Pro, which also includes an Action Button, could support Visual Intelligence. Apple has since confirmed that users will be able to launch Visual Intelligence using the Action Button or from the Control Center on the iPhone 15 Pro.
While Apple did not specify which software update will include Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 15 Pro, Gruber speculates that it may be part of the forthcoming iOS 18.4, which could begin its developer beta rollout soon and is expected to be publicly available in early April.
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iPhone 15 Pro owners will benefit from this feature, which is designed to enhance the phone’s capabilities by allowing users to analyze real-world objects in real time. Visual Intelligence is part of Apple’s suite of AI features and includes persistent shortcuts to tools such as ChatGPT and Google Image Search.
For instance, if a user stumbles upon a unique set of towels, they can utilize Visual Intelligence to initiate a Google search for similar products or directly inquire via ChatGPT about where to purchase them.
In addition to these capabilities, Visual Intelligence allows users to interact with text by translating, reading aloud, or summarizing it. Users can also obtain information about businesses by pointing their devices at them to view operational hours, menus, services, and purchase options.
As such, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users can anticipate experiencing these features in the near future, particularly those willing to participate in beta testing of upcoming software updates.
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