The unveiling of Apple Intelligence was hands-down the highlight of WWDC 2024. While it’s a long way off — scheduled to be released as a beta in the fall, all the Apple Intelligence… erm… intelligence that we have so far indicates it’s going to be a seismic change to Apple’s best iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
But while Apple Intelligence is designed to streamline your everyday life, is there anything that it might eliminate the need for altogether? There are some clear examples of Apple co-opting existing third-party apps, services, and features with Apple Intelligence, so I’ve been doing some digging. Here are seven things you might not need anymore once Apple Intelligence arrives.
Grammarly
There are plenty of spellcheck and grammar services available online, but Grammarly is probably the one you’re most familiar with. It’s a simple companion that tracks spelling and grammar as you type, and it’s quite versatile in that it works in lots of different places including Google Docs, content management systems, social media platforms, and more. Apple Intelligence brings with it a new systemwide feature dubbed Writing Tools. Apple says it can “rewrite, proofread, and summarize text” “nearly everywhere” you could hope to write, including in Mail, Notes, Pages, and other third-party apps. Time will tell how useful this is online, where Grammarly shines, but if Writing Tools is any good you can wave goodbye to your spellcheck subscription once and for all.
Photoshop
I’m not suggesting that anyone who uses Photoshop for serious editing won’t need it once Apple Intelligence arrives. However, Apple Intelligence does power one specific feature that will have you reaching for Adobe less often, Clean Up. As the name suggests, Clean Up can use AI to identify and remove distracting objects from your photos, such as a rogue bird or a traffic sign. It’s a feature some Android users have boasted about for years and one that’ll streamline photo editing without the need for more serious software.
Paper
This is a bold one I must admit, but in iPadOS 18, Apple is using on-device machine learning to power Smart Script, which can recreate your handwriting style from your notes, letting you scribble thoughts as fast as you can get them on paper using your Apple Pencil. Using the power of AI your iPad will then smooth out your notes to make them more legible. All of which is to say that Apple Intelligence on iPad could finally herald an end to paper-based note-taking and writing, with AI finally making writing things down on iPad a viable alternative.
Third-party email apps
Apple Intelligence also powers a suite of new tools for organizing your mail. AI will help determine your Priority Messages, offer summaries of emails without you opening them, and show you summarized details of threads. Once you’re done reading and want to start writing, Smart Reply will generate suggestions for quick responses. You might find you’re quite attached to your third-party email client of choice on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but Apple Intelligence could be a big reason to switch back to Apple’s own client.
Otter.ai
I don’t want to call out Otter.ai specifically here, but like Grammarly it’s probably the transcription and recording app you’re most familiar with. A mainstay of journalists the world over (myself included), Otter.ai can record a conversation and transcribe it using AI, saving hours of manual labor. In iOS 18, however, Apple Intelligence brings this feature right into the notes app. You can record lectures, interviews, or anything else, and get a transcription of the audio. In Notes, these can be paired up so your recordings are always kept alongside your other notes, and Apple Intelligence can even summarize what you’ve recorded. It’s one less reason to download a dedicated recording or transcription app and could spell the end for some App Store heavyweights.
Call recording apps
Call recording apps are less prominent, but some people still use them and they can be important in certain situations. The same Apple Intelligence that powers recording and transcribing in the Notes app can also be used to record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls. Naturally, the other participant will be alerted, and at the end of the call, you’ll get a debrief of everything discussed. This could be really important for people dealing with customer service queries, anyone worried about scam calls, or indeed anyone with accessibility needs including hearing impairment or memory problems.
Apple Intelligence moves into the neighborhood
So there you have it, I'm sure you can think of more things Apple Intelligence might replace in your life, or things you're already planning to do with it when it arrives in the fall. But Apple is clearly all-in on AI, and while Apple Intelligence might be here to stay, some of your favorite apps and services might not be long for this world.
