Visual Intelligence is one of the standout features that debuted with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro series last fall. This feature was widely believed to be limited to iPhones equipped with Camera Control (and Apple Intelligence), as no previous iPhone models had this capability. However, the newly announced iPhone 16e also supports Visual Intelligence despite lacking Camera Control.
Now comes the word: two other phones, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, will soon support Visual Intelligence. This news comes from Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, who says Apple indicated the feature will launch in a future iOS update, probably iOS 18.4.
Apple’s Visual Intelligence interacts with the world through an iPhone’s camera. Visual Intelligence can provide information, translate languages, identify plants and animals, and even summarize text by simply pointing the camera at an object, place, or text. It can also connect users with businesses by providing contact information, hours of operation, and even the ability to place orders or make reservations. Furthermore, Visual Intelligence integrates with ChatGPT and Google, allowing users to ask questions about what they see or search for similar items online.
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This feature was initially released with iOS 18.2.
Offering Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is a logical choice since they are the only non-iPhone 16 models that support Apple Intelligence.
Apple has yet to release the first beta version of iOS 18.4 to developers. However, it should happen sooner, not later. Once the iPhone 16e was announced yesterday, Apple updated its website to note that iOS 18.4 would launch to the public sometime in early April. Therefore, it won’t be long for iPhone 15 Pro owners to begin experiencing Visual Intelligence.
The iPhone 16e is available for pre-order beginning tomorrow, February 21. It arrives on February 28.