When the first generation of Apple Intelligence was introduced, there were many voices saying that this functional package was crying out to become the basis of another subscription offer. However, the company denied such plans at the time. In the meantime, however, the situation has changed fundamentally in one essential aspect. While Apple’s AI models were initially designed to be executed largely on the devices themselves, server-side calculations now have a much higher priority. The latter causes considerable costs for Apple, which is why discussions about a type of “Siri AI+” are now gaining momentum again. Bloomberg: Everything for free is difficult
Gurman therefore once again brings into play considerations that Apple could establish a plus tariff in the long term. A first step towards this has already been taken, because for certain functions, more precisely higher usage quotas, you will need iCloud+ from autumn – and the choice of words during the presentation suggested that it is probably not the cheapest 99 cent level. Overall, Gurman’s basic thesis is quite understandable. The more powerful and popular Siri AI becomes, the more difficult it will be for Apple to permanently finance unlimited cloud use through device sales alone.
But hardly a general payment barrier
The least likely thing that sounds likely is to generally put Siri AI behind a paywall. An iPhone on which basic questions, timers, messages, navigation or device controls only work with a subscription would be difficult to market. Siri has also been part of the basic equipment of devices for years. It is therefore more likely that the freemium model will be expanded, as is already the case with the iWork apps. Basic functions are free and you also receive a certain daily quota, but subscribers are allowed to use the services more intensively and also rely on particularly complex models. This corresponds to the approach of many other AI providers. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude also offer free basic use, but use payment tiers for more powerful models, larger amounts of use or additional tools.
More likely: more expensive iCloud plan, more features/quotas
In Apple’s case, image generation or long, complex Siri conversations with a lot of context appear to be a conceivable way to get users to pay. A standalone “Apple Intelligence” subscription still doesn’t seem like a sensible step; instead, Apple should expand on what it’s already doing with iCloud+. “The more expensive the iCloud tariff, the more functions – and the entire package is only available in Apple One” as a business principle therefore sounds the most plausible from a current perspective. At the same time, communication would be quite easy because for many it wouldn’t feel like a price increase given how many users are already paying for iCloud+.
