Apple took the wraps off its most highly anticipated and ambitious product to date, the iPhone Duo foldable handset, during its keynote on Wednesday at the company's headquarters. Yet beyond the new hardware, the event emerged as a comprehensive showcase for Apple's artificial intelligence ambitions, marking a decisive response to critics who have long argued the tech giant has lagged behind in the generative AI race while rivals like Samsung have already woven the technology deeply into their devices and services.
Apple used the Duo launch to fire back with a substantial suite of AI-driven features spanning both the iPhone and the Apple Watch. In his opening remarks, CEO John Turnus placed AI at the very heart of the presentation. He framed the iPhone as the user's intelligent personal hub, describing it as the nucleus of an ecosystem of smart functions and experiences where every device operates in seamless coordination across all the products people use daily.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the new AI-powered voice assistant, Siri AI, built on generative models. This upgraded assistant is slated for public beta testing on September 14 alongside the release of iOS 27. Siri AI is designed to draw upon a user's entire pool of information across apps. For instance, a user could ask Siri AI, "What was that game Michael mentioned to me earlier?" and the assistant would automatically search messages and emails to surface the relevant answer. It also taps into the iPhone's camera to identify objects in the user's surroundings and deliver a wealth of general knowledge.
Powered by Apple Intelligence, the Health app on the Apple Watch has seen a major upgrade. Users can now rely on the wearable for continuous monitoring of heart rate, sleep patterns, and physical activity, receiving in-depth analysis tailored to their overall wellness. A new "Lifespan Assessment" section within the Health app generates a health age score, comparing a user's physical metrics against their chronological age. Meanwhile, a "Health Insights" section provides real-time, day-long updates on heart rate, sleep quality, vital signs, and recovery status.
The new AirPods 5 also tap into AI capabilities, offering real-time translation and hands-free invocation of Siri AI. Apple's AI push extends beyond the latest devices; following the keynote, the company staged a live demo featuring the new Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops, highlighting their role in executing the broader AI strategy. In the demonstration, four Mac Studio units were networked together to run a large language model with a trillion parameters, while two standalone Mac mini units each handled AI models with billions of parameters simultaneously. Both desktops have earned favor among AI developers for their ease of use and their capability to run models remotely without a connected display.
While this launch firmly plants Apple in the AI race, these new features alone are unlikely to drive an immediate surge in overall device sales. "Has the delayed rollout of global premium Siri AI and Apple Intelligence really hurt iPhone sales? The data says no," noted Counterpoint Research's chief analyst Gerrit Schneemann in an email to Yahoo Finance. "Apple's overall sales continue to outperform the market. In regions where Siri AI and advanced features have yet to launch, such as China, standard iPhone models have actually sold better, and the same pattern holds in Europe."