- Apple Intelligence is a month behind, Bloomberg reported.
- There's a lot of excitement about Apple's AI, but analysts say it won't slow the company down.
- The iPhone 16 and iOS 18 software are scheduled to be released in September.
Apple has delayed the release of Apple Intelligence after weeks of anticipation, but the tech giant may be on to something.
The Worldwide Developers Conference keynote in June teased features like a new Siri powered by ChatGPT, AI-generated emojis, and more intuitive apps, which were initially scheduled to roll out starting in September with the release of iOS 18 and the iPhone 16.
However, according to Bloomberg, the tech giant has pushed the launch date back to October, meaning the new iPhones and their software will arrive a few weeks before Apple Intelligence.
Analysts told Business Insider that it's not a big deal.
“The most important takeaway is that Apple has a two- to three-year supercycle of iPhone, Mac and iPad upgrades that is driven by Apple Intelligence,” said Gene Munster, an analyst at Deepwater Asset Management.
When Apple unveiled its take on artificial intelligence at WWDC, the company was already weeks behind its competitors in the AI arms race. Analysts knew that if Apple wanted to stay at the forefront of this new technology, it had to deliver — and they didn't disappoint.
“We think the narrative that Apple is lagging behind in AI is overblown, consistent with the company's late-comer premium entrant strategy. We believe that as a premium device maker, Apple is uniquely positioned to take advantage of AI,” said William Kerwin, technology analyst at Morningstar.
Analysts say the delay shouldn't affect the buzz surrounding the new iPhones when they are announced in September, and it could even stoke hopes for a long-awaited “golden upgrade cycle” that analyst Dan Ives predicted the iPhone 16 will spark.
Munster told BI that Apple should consider shifting the launch date of the iPhone 16 to align with Apple Intelligence. There's a risk that an estimated 15% of September-quarter revenue will shift to the December quarter, but Munster said investors probably won't mind.
He added that Apple announced at WWDC that all of the new software features would be rolled out over the next year, so “a one-month delay still could have a significant impact on iPhone sales.”
Overall, analysts seem more concerned about Apple staying true to its brand by taking its time to launch innovative products.
They'll be on the company's earnings call on Thursday to learn more about the features that will be included in the initial rollout.
“It's more important to us that these features are perfect and well-received than that they ship early,” Kerwin said.
