During the last earnings call under Tim Cook's leadership at Apple, artificial intelligence became a focal point for investors. Apple's management addressed market concerns regarding whether Siri AI could drive demand for iPhone upgrades and the cost pressures from investments in AI infrastructure, and for the first time publicly hinted that Siri AI might adopt a paid model in the future.
Cook stated that the current financial impact of Siri AI remains uncertain, but he revealed that users who frequently use Siri AI may need to subscribe to iCloud+ in the future. Although Apple has previously promoted Siri AI as a free feature within iPhone, iPad, and Mac systems, it relies on cloud computing resources, including Apple's own cloud services and third-party cloud infrastructure. Continuously running large language model queries incurs additional costs.
According to the information, Apple plans to set certain usage limits for free access to Siri AI. Regular users can use it within the limit for free, while heavy users exceeding the limit may need to purchase an iCloud+ plan. Currently, Apple has not disclosed specific usage counts or limit standards, and the final pricing mechanism still needs further confirmation.
In addition to Siri AI, Apple has previously indicated that some Apple Intelligence features will adopt a tiered usage strategy. For example, the "Clean Up" and "Extend" features in the iOS 27 Photos app, as well as the redesigned "Image Playground" app, will have usage limits, with iCloud+ subscribers receiving higher quotas. Additionally, the AI video recording feature in the Family app requires a 2TB iClould plan, and the new Cloud Pro model in the Shortcuts app is only available to higher-tier iClould+ users.
The iOS 27 featuring Siri AI is expected to be released later this year, supporting devices including the iPhone 15 Pro and subsequent models, as well as Mac devices supporting Apple Intelligence. Due to regulatory factors, Siri AI will not be available in the European and Chinese markets in the short term. As the computing costs of AI features continue to rise, Apple is exploring new ways to commercialize AI capabilities through subscription services.
