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Apple, they’re not just phoning it in anymore! They’re… intelligencing it in?
So, Apple’s dropped this new iOS 18.2 beta, and it’s got more “intelligence” than a Mensa meeting after a triple espresso. We’re talking features with names like “Image Playground” and “Genmoji” – which sound like they were dreamt up by a marketing team hopped up on sugar and science fiction.
What’s it all about? Well, if you’ve ever wished your phone could draw your fever dreams, or create an emoji that perfectly captures your existential dread at 3 a.m., Apple’s got you covered.
This “Image Playground” thingy lets you type in a prompt and get a cartoon image back. You can even make it look like you and your friends, which I’m sure will be used for nothing but wholesome and respectful purposes. And there’s “Image Wand” in the Notes app – circle a word and BAM! – instant image. It’s like clipart on steroids.
But wait, there’s more! “Genmoji” lets you create your own custom emojis. Finally, an emoji that truly captures the feeling of “my cat just threw up a hairball the size of a chihuahua.”
And for those of you who find Siri about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine, Apple’s integrated ChatGPT. Now you can ask your phone to write you a sonnet, generate a picture of a unicorn riding a skateboard, or explain the meaning of life (spoiler alert: it’s probably 42).
All this is great, but there’s a catch. This “Apple Intelligence” stuff is still in beta, and only available on the latest devices. So, if you’re rocking an iPhone 5, you’re out of luck. Also, Apple admits the results can be a bit wonky. So, your custom emoji might end up looking more like a Picasso than a perfect representation of your inner self.
But hey, it’s a start. Maybe one day our phones will be so intelligent, they’ll do our taxes and write our dating profiles for us. Until then, we’ll just have to settle for cartoon versions of ourselves and emojis that express our deepest anxieties.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks. Apple’s promised more updates and features in the coming weeks. So, stay tuned – the future of mobile technology might be more intelligent than we ever imagined (or maybe just a little more entertaining).
From the sales floor to the critic's corner, I'm a former Apple Sales Specialist who's not afraid to tell it like it is. Get my honest takes on the iPhone, Mac, and everything Apple. | Los Angeles, California.
