Apple rolls out AI platform alongside new iMac with M4 chip

The initial features represent only a sliver of Apple's plans for the service

Apple Inc., heralding a 'new era' for its devices, started rolling out its first set of Apple Intelligence features and introduced a new 24-inch iMac desktop with a faster, AI-focused M4 processor.

The iMac, starting at the same Dh5,499 price as the prior model, is faster and sports an enhanced Neural Engine for handling AI tasks, the company said in an announcement Monday. The model goes on sale Nov. 8.

Separately, the company said its Apple Intelligence software is now available for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Though Apple previewed a broader set of AI-related capabilities in June, the initial features represent only a sliver of Apple's plans for the service.

The lineup includes Writing Tools for summarizing and editing text, a new visual interface for the Siri digital assistant, and the ability to recap incoming text messages and other notifications. More important features - like a smarter version of Siri and generative AI for images - are coming later.

Still, it's a critical moment for a company that's playing catch-up in AI. Since OpenAI's ChatGPT set off an artificial intelligence frenzy in late 2022, Apple has been on the sidelines - with tech peers like Google and Microsoft Corp. grabbing more of the attention. Apple Intelligence is an attempt to show that the iPhone maker can be a leader in this field.

The iMac, meanwhile, is Apple's best-selling desktop and the product that helped turn the business around from the brink of bankruptcy in the late 1990s. The original idea is the still the same: putting all the computing components behind the display and requiring little to no setup. The latest version retains the slim design from 2021 but comes in new colors.

The central processing unit will have eight cores - a measure of its data-crunching ability - with another eight in the graphics processing unit. A more powerful version will have 10 cores in each category and starts at Dh6,339.

A new 'nano-texture' glass option on the 24-inch screen will reduce reflections and glare, the company said. And there's a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera.

For the first time, the iMac starts with 16 gigabytes of memory, double the 8 gigabytes that Apple has offered in its entry-level model for the past several years. The company has been trailing peers in this area as well: Makers of Windows computers generally offer more memory - and that's been a source of complaints from Apple customers. The extra memory also will help support the new Apple Intelligence features.