Apple will offer a very smart free upgrade, but only if your iPhone is on this list

Apple is currently holding its yearly WWDC Developers Conference at its HQ in Cupertino, California, and there's plenty to talk about. A swathe of updates is being released for its products, including the iPhone, with new features launching later this year that will offer better customisation, improved parental controls, faster app launching and a more intuitive Siri assistant. It will be another blockbuster release, but those with devices that are compatible with Apple Intelligence look set to get the biggest boost.

Apple Intelligence was first announced in 2024 and had a rough start, with a number of promised features never materialising.

The US technology giant has since been working hard to improve this clever service, and it seems it's now ready to roll out the changes to the general public.

Once it arrives in September, it should make life far simpler with Apple Intelligence helping to organise calendars and offer one-tap suggestions based on the context of users’ conversations in Messages. So, if you get a message from your brother asking for "photos of mum", Apple Intelligence will show images from your photo library to speed things up.

There are also changes to the Safari browsers, including Notify Me. This lets users ask Safari to monitor a web page for changes, like product restocks or price drops, so they can stay on top of updates they care about. Safari also get tabs that now automatically organise themselves by topic.

Perhaps one of the biggest features comes to photos. The new Apple Intelligence is now far better at retouching images and removing unwanted objects from a shot. There's also the ability to extend backgrounds without needing any Photoshop skills and Apple is adding a feature called Spatial Reframing. This lets you adjust the composition after the photo is taken, so you never have to live with a slightly too-far-left shot again.

“At Apple, our mission has always been to turn the potential of advanced technology into helpful and intuitive products for everyone, and that has never been more important than today,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.

“Truly helpful AI must be centred on our users’ needs, deeply integrated into the products they rely on every day, grounded in personal context, and built with privacy at every step. That is our vision for Apple Intelligence. With useful features for browsing the web, expressing creativity, editing photos, and so much more, today marks a big step forward on our journey to integrate powerful AI into the core of our platforms and make our products even more personal and useful.”

So who gets this update? The improved Apple Intelligence will arrive in iOS 27 this autumn. It will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 range, iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air.