5 Hidden AI Features You Missed From Apple’s Event
▼ Summary
– Apple introduced several subtle AI features across its new products, focusing on enhancing user experience rather than flashy announcements.
– Live Translation in AirPods Pro 3 enables real-time conversation translation directly in the earbuds or via iPhone transcription.
– Center Stage uses AI to automatically adjust camera orientation and widen shots when detecting groups for easier selfies.
– Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra Watch 3 leverage machine learning to detect signs of chronic high blood pressure.
– New chipsets like the A19 Pro and S10 enable more advanced on-device AI processing, supporting features like improved Siri and generative models.
While Apple’s recent event showcased impressive hardware upgrades, the real story lies in the subtle yet powerful AI enhancements woven throughout its ecosystem. Rather than making flashy announcements, the company embedded intelligent features designed to make daily interactions smoother and more intuitive. These updates reflect a thoughtful approach to artificial intelligence, one that prioritizes utility over hype.
Among the most impactful updates is Live Translation in AirPods Pro 3, which brings real-time conversational translation directly to your ears. This feature, originally introduced for iOS, now operates seamlessly through AirPods, allowing users to engage in natural dialogue with speakers of other languages. For those without the latest earbuds, translations appear live on the iPhone screen. Early hands-on impressions suggest the translations are not only accurate but context-aware, marking a genuinely useful application of large language models.
Another clever addition is Center Stage for selfies, which uses AI to automatically adjust the camera’s framing. When shooting horizontally, the view intelligently widens to include more people and can even rotate between orientations to keep everyone in the shot. It’s the kind of quality-of-life improvement that makes using your phone just a little bit easier.
Health monitoring took a step forward with the introduction of hypertension notifications on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra Watch 3. Using machine learning trained on clinical data, the watch can now alert users to signs of chronic high blood pressure. While not exclusively an AI feature, its development relied heavily on advanced algorithms, demonstrating how Apple leverages intelligence to deliver meaningful health insights.
Photography also received an AI boost with an updated Photographic Styles filter in the iPhone 16 series. A new “Bright” style enhances skin tones and adds vibrancy across the image before the photo is even taken. These adjustments are powered by the Apple Neural Engine, underscoring the role of on-device AI in refining your shots.
The Photonic Engine in iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max now incorporates more machine learning to improve image processing. By reducing noise, preserving detail, and enhancing color accuracy, the computational photography system works behind the scenes to make every photo look its best.
Beyond these features, Apple’s new chipsets, including the A19, A19 Pro, and S10, lay the groundwork for future AI capabilities. With dedicated neural accelerators and on-device processing, these chips enable more powerful and responsive AI experiences, from generative models to faster Siri responses. This hardware foundation ensures that Apple’s devices will continue to integrate intelligence in ways that feel effortless and essential.
(Source: ZDNET)
