Apple's Intellectual Data now occupies almost double the storage space it initially did upon its launch.
Apple's Intellectual Data now occupies almost double the storage space it initially did upon its launch.
Apple's less-than-impressive feature known as Apple Intelligence, famous for its subpar text and notification summarization, has been gradually occupying more of your valuable, unused storage space. As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple Intelligence shifted from necessitating 4GB of available storage at its introduction in September 2024 to requiring 7GB only four months later - almost doubling its space consumption on your device.
The storage space increase first became evident with the introduction of iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2, which hit the public scene back in early December. These updates expanded upon the initial set of Apple Intelligence features introduced with iOS 18.1 and Sequoia 15.1. The December rollout unveiled two generative AI offerings: Image Playground, generating images based on user prompts, and Genmoji, enabling users to create personalized emojis.
A significant portion of the space demand arises due to Apple Intelligence's on-device processing, which necessitates storing the feature's underpinning models on your device. This is why Apple Intelligence is restricted to devices equipped with their exclusive chipsets, M1 or A17 or higher. While other chipsets might theoretically handle the processing, Apple aims for optimum performance, ensuring smooth AI functionality on their devices.
The on-device processing shores up some privacy, albeit with the concomitant drawback: Apple continues to scrutinize your photos and various content to fine-tune AI (unexpected intel, right?). However, this approach means that with every new Apple Intelligence feature release, your storage starts to dwindle. Apple is planning to revamp Siri’s AI soon and likely continues to prioritize AI for future operating system upgrades, ensuring that your available storage continues to erode.
Apple Intelligence may induce an eerie feeling due to the situation that very few seem excited about utilizing these features. An early-year survey conducted by SellCell revealed that an astounding 73% of iPhone users who have sampled Apple Intelligence claimed it added "little to no value" to their phone experience.
As new features inevitably become available that might entice user engagement, the value proposition might alter. Nevertheless, users are already voicing their concerns about the associated battery drain stemming from Apple Intelligence operations. For now, it appears that Apple Intelligence's primary function is furnishing faulty summaries to news articles, with the downside being an escalating share of your limited storage space and increased device charging frequency. Doesn’t exactly scream “great deal”.
The future of Apple's tech strategy seems to prioritize AI, as shown by the planned revamp of Siri's AI and continuous feature releases. This focus on AI, however, might lead to more storage space consumption, as seen with Apple Intelligence requiring 7GB after its initial introduction.
The expansion of Apple Intelligence's features, such as Image Playground and Genmoji, demands substantial storage and on-device processing power, which is why it's restricted to Apple-exclusive chipsets. This trend of increasing storage space demand could potentially make users contemplate the associated battery drain and diminishing storage space, which might not align with an expected "great deal" experience.