Apple Intelligence is clearly new to iPhone users, and the Cupertino giant promises to deliver six AI features that might compete with ChatGPT.

But one industry expert believes these features won't deliver the game-changing AI experience Apple fans are looking for anytime soon.

AI in iPhones Will Take Time to Develop and Fully Mature

Apple Intelligence May Not Reach Peak Performance Until 2027

Earlier this week, Edison Lee, an analyst at Jeffries, one of the leading U.S.-based financial firms, said that Apple Intelligence, currently, may not serve its aim for at least two to three more years. Lee said that the new AI feature by the company might look impressive, but in reality, the hardware of the iPhone 16 series might not be able to fully support more advanced applications without some significant upgrades, as per Gadgets 360.

Contrary to general opinion, or at least the views swarming through circles saying this release of AI capabilities should fuel a "supercycle" demand for the latest iPhone models, supercycles are characterized by new technologies or revolutionary features that increase sales. The AI hype hasn't yet indicated a sales surge in the iPhone 16 series, with most industry experts waiting to know whether such new features can sustain demand.

Why Are Apple's AI Capabilities Falling Short?

Lee says part of the reason is that the iPhone's hardware still needs to be developed to incorporate more evolved AI. "Serious AI" is something Apple Intelligence can't promise for now for the next couple of years.

The analyst, however, points out that while Apple is great-situated in current hardware due to the tight hardware-software integration, the current hardware may eventually become a limitation to the full potential of Apple's AI.

But Lee believes, long term, that Apple AI services will be the market leader. "Apple is the only hardware-software-integrated player that can leverage proprietary data to offer low-cost, personalized AI services," he said, adding that its unique infrastructure puts the company in a better position once its hardware catches up.

New Apple Intelligence Features in iOS 18.1

Despite this analyst's cautious view, iOS 18.1 promises to deliver new AI features on compatible iPhones by the end of October. TechRadar anticipates them to come by Oct. 28, to be exact.

Among them will be the following:

Writing Tools: This function writes content following user requests. It makes productivity and content generation much better.

Notification Summaries: This would summarize less important notifications and keep the important things right before users' eyes.

Cleaning up in photos: An AI-driven feature that automatically declutters and organizes photos.

Notification Priority: The system would know which of the important notifications were coming through.

Memories in Photos: This new Photos feature utilizes AI to create personalized memories.

New Siri capabilities: Siri would handle more complex tasks better owing to the enhanced integration of AI.

Apple AI on the Road Ahead

That is, though those new features are certainly exciting, it is plain to see that Apple's AI journey is just beginning. While maybe further hardware upgrades are needed to tap into the full muscle of Apple Intelligence, the real transformation may take until 2027 or later.

For now, iPhone users can look forward to useful new features—but the AI revolution they've been waiting for might still be a few years away.