Why Apple is actually ahead in AI

Plus 3 simple Apple Watch tricks, latest iOS beta changes, IPhone 17 Pro Max rumors and more.

Author

Leander Kahney
August 29, 2024

Apple is woefully behind in AI, trailing leaders like OpenAI, Meta and Google — according to the pundits.

But hollup! That’s actually not even remotely true, according to a technical white paper Apple published around WWDC that didn’t get much attention.

Our writer, D Griffin Jones, dove into the white paper and found that, contrary to popular wisdom, Apple’s AI is actually competitive with the leading Large Language Models, and in some case — like safety — is way ahead.

Also in today’s newsletter:

  • The socials are buzzing about the new AI-powered Clean Up feature in the latest iOS 18.1 beta. With a quick squiggle of your finger, Clean Up removes unwanted background objects in photos and will even obscure faces. Many are raving about it, but it’s not perfect — just look at these hilarious fails. And here’s what else is new in the latest iOS 18 beta release.

  • The iPhone 16 is just a few week’s away, but the iPhone 17 rumors are already swirling, including intel on an exclusive cooling feature coming to Apple’s largest handset.

  • I know you love your Apple Watch, but here’s three essential tricks you may not know about.

  • This Android phone is even smaller than the much-missed iPhone mini (by me anyway). It’s not premium, but it is cheap, and with a $5 monthly plan, makes for a great kids started phone, hiking or a just a backup.

  • I doubt I’ll watch it because I could barely get through the original, but there’s a new director’s cut of Ridley Scott’s interminable Napoleon on Apple TV+ that adds almost another hour! Zut alors.

  • We got a pretty good response to yesterday’s default browser poll — see below. Overwhelmingly you guys use Safari as your default browser, and I was surprised how few of you used highly-rated browsers like Opera One, Arc or Brave. Out of more than 130 votes, these alternatives garnered only one or two votes apiece. But what am I talking about? I haven’t switched myself, despite downloading several browsers to check out. No one messes with defaults.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple shows why it's ahead in AI, not behind

Apple's Foundation Model is both the safest in design while highly competitive with both Llama and GPT-4.

Apple Photos app's Clean Up feature works great ... unless it doesn't!

Hilarious misfires show how badly things can go wrong with the AI-powered Clean Up tool in the Apple Photos app. But it's not all bad.

iOS 18.1 beta 3: All the new features and changes

iOS 18.1 beta 3 arrives with several Apple Intelligence features baked in. But that's not all. Here's everything new in the beta release.

A message from Cult of Mac Deals team

This $110 smartphone is smaller than a credit card

Tired of stretching your hands and pockets with a gigantic iPhone? Try the NanoPhone, a small smartphone that's perfect for travel.

iPhone 17 Pro Max might exclusively ship with a superior cooling system

In a bid to differentiate the 2025 iPhone 17 Pro Max from other models, Apple could equip it with 12GB RAM and an upgraded cooling system.

Apple Sports app piles on new features in time for football season

Are you ready for some new Apple Sports app features to go along with your football-watching? Check out the app's updates.

A message from Cult of Mac Deals team

This might be the last toy you ever buy

Safe and easy to use, this 3D printer for beginners comes with a huge catalog of toys kids can print if they don't want to design their own.

Major websites opt out of Apple's content scraping to train AI

As prominent websites opt out of Apple AI scraping, a report ponders the new "conflict zone" building over bot use and intellectual property.

Hawaii drivers can now put their license in Apple Wallet

Hawaii just became the latest U.S. state to support digital driver’s licenses and IDs stored in the Apple Wallet app.

New mobile controller turns iPhone and iPad mini into gaming consoles

Want a better gaming experience? Turn iPhone or iPad mini into a console with the new Vagabond Mobile Gaming Controller.

3 simple tricks every Apple Watch wearer should know

Apple Watch does so much it’s possible for some handy tricks to get lost. Everyone should master these basic Apple Watch tips immediately.

Napoleon: The Director’s Cut adds 48 mins to Ridley Scott’s epic

"Napoleon: The Director’s Cut," a more complete version of the film featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor, premieres on Apple TV+.

Today in Apple history: Steve Jobs gets embroiled in stock-backdating scandal

On August 29, 2001, an Apple board meeting took place that will become a very important date in the Apple stock backdating scandal.

Tweets of the day

Wallpaper of the day

One more thing ...

❝

Somebody once told me, 'Manage the top line, and the bottom line will follow.' What's the top line? It's things like, why are we doing this in the first place? What's our strategy? What are customers saying? How responsive are we? Do we have the best products and the best people? Those are the kind of questions you have to focus on.

— Steve Jobs, 1989.

Today’s poll

Do you want Clean Up, or is it a gross violation of photographic truth?

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Results from yesterday’s poll: What's the default browser on your iPhone or iPad?

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