Following the intriguing reveal of the new Siri assistant with full AI capabilities, questions and analyses have begun to surface: Will Apple turn this smart assistant into a paid monthly subscription service like “Siri Plus” to join the ranks of ChatGPT and Gemini? The idea is not entirely far-fetched, especially since Apple’s services sector has become highly profitable, outperforming all other sectors combined, with the exception of the iPhone.
Subscription Dreams: From Apple Intelligence+ to Paid Siri
Since the first announcement of Apple Intelligence, renowned analyst Mark Gurman has indicated that Apple’s long-term plan is to monetize these features by launching a paid service under the name Apple Intelligence+. Other analysts at the time predicted that the cost of subscribing to advanced AI features could reach $20 per month, or perhaps be available at a discounted price as part of an Apple One bundle.
Apple’s motivation for charging fees wasn’t just a desire to increase profits, but rather due to the exorbitant costs it incurs to build its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Investors expected Apple to recoup some of these massive costs. However, this has not happened yet, for a simple reason: the features Apple initially provided did not live up to the level of service users would pay for, and developing Siri took much longer than expected.
Free Usage Limits and the Future of Siri
Mark Gurman believes that Apple will eventually charge for some advanced Siri features, but not before these technologies prove their efficiency and worth to users first. It is likely that features will not be entirely locked behind a paywall; instead, “rate limits” will be placed on complex generative and cognitive features that require intensive cloud processing, just as OpenAI does with ChatGPT, while basic features and personal user context on the device will remain completely free and unrestricted.
iCloud+ Plan and Apple’s Smart Alternative
During the recent conference, Chris Federighi, Apple’s Vice President, hinted at the method the company might follow to increase sales without launching a separate subscription. He stated that some features, such as image generation, would be subject to daily usage limits due to their reliance on powerful and complex servers. He noted that increased usage limits would be available to iCloud+ subscribers.
Apple currently has five different iCloud+ plans, starting from 50GB and reaching 12TB. Since statements indicated that “most” plans would receive expanded access to AI features, it is expected that higher plans (such as 2TB, 6TB, and 12TB) will be included, while the cheapest 50GB plan might be excluded.
On the other hand, Apple has proven time and again that it doesn’t mind losing money on new projects to establish its position; it spent billions on Apple TV and poured huge sums into its satellite network to provide emergency communication features on the iPhone—features it still offers for free to this day, even though it previously announced they would be free for only two years. Therefore, Apple does not seem to be in a hurry to charge direct fees for Siri and AI; these restrictions may simply be to manage expectations and server load for the time being.
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