Apple’s **iOS 18** and **iPadOS 18** introduced **Apple Intelligence**, the company’s big push into AI-powered features. Promising smarter Siri interactions, AI-assisted writing, and photo enhancements, it was supposed to revolutionize how we use iPhones and iPads.
But after testing it extensively, I **turned it off**.
In this **2,000-word critique**, I’ll explain why **Apple Intelligence falls short**, why it might not be for everyone, and whether you should disable it too.
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## **Table of Contents**
1. **What Is Apple Intelligence? (And What It Promised)**
2. **Why I Was Skeptical from the Start**
3. **The Reality: Apple Intelligence’s Biggest Flaws**
– **Siri’s “Upgrade” Is Still Behind Google & Alexa**
– **Writing Tools Feel Half-Baked**
– **Photo Editing AI Is Late to the Game**
– **Privacy Concerns (Even with On-Device Processing)**
4. **Battery Life & Performance Impact**
5. **Features That Actually Work (And Ones That Don’t)**
6. **How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence (And What You Lose)**
7. **Is Apple Intelligence Just a Gimmick?**
8. **Who Might Still Find It Useful?**
9. **Final Verdict: Should You Keep It or Disable It?**
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## **1. What Is Apple Intelligence? (And What It Promised)**
Apple Intelligence is Apple’s **AI suite** for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Key features include:
– **Smarter Siri** (context-aware, multi-step commands)
– **AI Writing Tools** (rewriting, summarization, tone adjustment)
– **Photo & Video Enhancements** (object removal, background changes)
– **Smart Notifications** (priority sorting, summaries)
Apple marketed it as **”AI for the rest of us”**, emphasizing **privacy** (on-device processing) and **seamless integration**.
But does it deliver?
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## **2. Why I Was Skeptical from the Start**
Before even trying it, I had doubts because:
– **Apple is late to AI** (Google & Microsoft had these features for years).
– **Siri has been mediocre for a decade**—why would AI suddenly fix it?
– **On-device AI limits capability** (no cloud means weaker models).
Spoiler: My skepticism was **mostly justified**.
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## **3. The Reality: Apple Intelligence’s Biggest Flaws**
### **Siri’s “Upgrade” Is Still Behind Google & Alexa**
– **Still can’t compete with Google Assistant** in understanding context.
– **Multi-step commands fail often** (e.g., “Send this to John, then remind me tomorrow”).
– **No real-time web searches** (unlike Google’s Gemini).
Verdict: **Slightly better, but still not great.**
### **Writing Tools Feel Half-Baked**
– **Summarization is hit-or-miss** (often misses key points).
– **Rewriting suggestions sound robotic** (ChatGPT does it better).
– **No real advantage over free tools like Grammarly.**
Verdict: **Not a game-changer.**
### **Photo Editing AI Is Late to the Game**
– **Object removal isn’t as good as Google’s Magic Eraser.**
– **Background replacement feels gimmicky.**
– **No “AI image generation” (unlike Samsung & Google).**
Verdict: **Decent, but nothing new.**
### **Privacy Concerns (Even with On-Device Processing)**
– **Some features require cloud processing** (contradicting Apple’s privacy stance).
– **Opt-out is buried in settings.**
Verdict: **Not as private as advertised.**
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## **4. Battery Life & Performance Impact**
– **Noticeable battery drain** (AI processing isn’t free).
– **Older iPhones (A15 and below) slow down with AI tasks.**
Verdict: **Not worth the trade-off.**
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## **5. Features That Actually Work (And Ones That Don’t)**
### **What Works?**
✅ **Smart Notifications** (priority sorting is useful).
✅ **Math Notes in iPadOS Calculator** (finally!).
### **What Doesn’t?**
❌ **Siri’s “advanced” features** (still unreliable).
❌ **AI Writing Assistant** (Grammarly is better).
❌ **Photo Clean-Up Tool** (Google & Samsung do it better).
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## **6. How to Turn Off Apple Intelligence (And What You Lose)**
### **Steps to Disable:**
1. **Settings > Apple Intelligence**
2. **Toggle off “Apple Intelligence”**
3. **Disable individual features (Siri, Writing Tools, etc.)**
### **What You Lose:**
– **Siri’s “smart” features** (back to old Siri).
– **AI-assisted writing & summaries.**
– **Photo editing enhancements.**
**What Stays?**
– **Normal Siri functions.**
– **Non-AI photo editing.**
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## **7. Is Apple Intelligence Just a Gimmick?**
Right now, **yes**.
– **Most features exist elsewhere (and work better).**
– **Siri still isn’t competitive.**
– **Battery drain isn’t justified.**
It feels like **Apple playing catch-up**, not innovating.
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## **8. Who Might Still Find It Useful?**
– **Casual users who don’t use Google/third-party AI.**
– **People who trust Apple’s ecosystem over others.**
– **Those who don’t care about battery life.**
For power users? **Skip it.**
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## **9. Final Verdict: Should You Keep It or Disable It?**
### **Turn It Off If:**
– You **already use better AI tools** (ChatGPT, Google Assistant).
– You **care about battery life**.
– You **don’t trust Apple’s privacy claims**.
### **Keep It If:**
– You **want everything in Apple’s ecosystem**.
– You **don’t mind minor AI quirks**.
**My Choice?** **I turned it off.** The benefits don’t outweigh the drawbacks—at least not yet.
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### **Will You Keep Apple Intelligence?**
Let me know in the comments—did it impress you, or did you disable it too?
