Apple may take Google’s help to bring AI features to upcoming iPhones but users are worried this would sacrifice their privacy.
iPhones and Apple products in general aren’t AI-heavy yet. Google, Samsung, and other big tech companies have wholeheartedly integrated AI features into their products but the Cupertino company is yet to make any big moves. Reports have claimed iOS 18 and iPhone 16 will be loaded with AI smarts. However, they may not use Apple’s in-house tech.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is in talks with Google to bring the Gemini AI suite to iPhones. While it’s unclear what kind of features Google Gemini will bring to iPhones, Apple users are already worried about their privacy.
“Google and privacy don’t go hand-in-hand. This collaboration would make me distrust Apple’s stance on privacy,” one user wrote on Reddit. “This would be the dumbest move Apple would’ve ever done,” said another Redditor.
Bloomberg reports Apple has also been in talks with OpenAI for the same. The iPhone maker may end up choosing OpenAI over Google or decide to tap multiple partners, as it does with search in its web browser. It’s unlikely that any deal would be announced until June, according to the report.
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Users are also worried that Google Gemini is not good enough to be integrated on iPhones. “After Gemini’s catastrophic launch failure, and Bard before that, Google has a long way to go before their ChatGPT competitor is ready for prime time. Siri sets a very low bar, but replacing terrible with terrible doesn’t cut it,” noted a Reddit user.
Apple & Google’s new partnerships to build on existing agreements
Bloomberg claims that if Apple and Google decide to finalize the Gemini AI deal, it would build on their search agreement. The iPhone maker already has a deal with Google to make Google Search the default on iPhone, Mac, and iPad. Google reportedly pays Apple $18 billion annually to maintain this arrangement.
Apple won’t be the first company to team up with Google to bring AI features to their phones. Samsung already did so with the Galaxy S24 series, introducing features like translation and Circle to Search.