Apple's Visual Intelligence Unveiled for iPhone 16 Series with iOS 18.2 Beta

Apple’s recent introduction of Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 16 series, available in the iOS 18.2 developer beta, aims to revolutionize how users engage with the world through their phone’s camera. Currently accessible to Apple Developer members, the feature is intended to make real-time information about surroundings available with a simple press-and-hold of the Camera Control. Though reminiscent of Google Lens or Circle to Search, Visual Intelligence stands apart as an exclusive offering for iPhone 16 users.

Visual Intelligence allows users to snap images, enabling the system to identify landmarks, retrieve business hours, or provide reviews for shops and eateries. However, not all features are fully active yet. Some functionalities showcased during Apple’s demos—such as instant location-based data—have inconsistencies, particularly outside the U.S., possibly due to regional rollout differences.

One of Visual Intelligence’s notable functions is its text recognition. The feature can generate summaries, audibly read text, or copy detected text for use in other applications, ideal for documents, posters, or signage. Additionally, it offers options for translating foreign-language text and extracting actionable information, like phone numbers or emails, facilitating quick messaging or saving to contacts.

Visual Intelligence can also initiate Google searches for items within an image, a feature that accurately recognized objects like mugs during tests. Integration with ChatGPT aims to enhance this functionality further, allowing users to explore image-related information with AI-powered assistance. However, early users report limitations with ChatGPT integration, experiencing error messages during attempts to log in and interact with image data—a known issue in beta testing.

Despite these early limitations, Visual Intelligence shows promise, offering a more integrated experience within iOS than competing apps. While only available for iPhone 16 series users, the feature is expected to evolve as Apple refines it through subsequent beta releases.