Apple considers subscription model for ‘Apple Intelligence’: Report

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple may introduce a premium tier called "Apple Intelligence+" that offers exclusive AI features for a monthly fee, akin to its existing subscription services like iCloud and Apple Music.The move comes amid a strategic pivot by Apple to bolster its software and services offerings amidst a plateau in hardware sales growth. Factors contributing to this shift include slower device upgrade cycles, less pronounced hardware innovation, and increased durability of devices.Apple's partnership with OpenAI, which reportedly includes revenue-sharing from AI subscription services, underscores its commitment to leveraging AI to drive future revenue growth.

Additionally, the introduction of Private Cloud Compute promises to extend AI capabilities to older devices by utilizing Apple's cloud servers for computational tasks.As Apple reportedly prepares to roll out Apple Intelligence initially on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, industry watchers anticipate further developments in AI-driven technologies that could reshape how consumers interact with their devices.Meanwhile, the tech giant has officially designated three of its iconic products as "vintage." The updated vintage and obsolete products list now includes the iPhone X, the first-generation AirPods, and the original HomePod, according to reports from MacRumors.In Apple's classification, a product earns the vintage label if it has been off the market for more than five years but less than seven years. Once a product surpasses the seven-year mark since its discontinuation, it is categorized as obsolete.