Apple likely to partner with Google Gemini for chatbot offerings

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, Apple plans to announce at least one other partnership, likely with Google Gemini, in the latter half of the year.

Speculations have circulated regarding Gemini’s inclusion in iOS 18’s chatbot offerings alongside OpenAI with Craig Federighi, Apple’s Software Chief, hinting at a prospective collaboration with Google following a recent keynote. Discussions also suggest Anthropic’s involvement, with Gurman indicating that Apple may announce a partnership with the artificial intelligence company in the future, albeit unlikely this fall. Meta’s Llama chatbot, however, was dismissed due to its failure to meet the company’s quality standards.

In addition to chatbot integration, Apple is expected to debut Apple Intelligence in beta this year. The company aims to make AI a direct revenue stream rather than just a feature to boost hardware sales. Gurman speculates that Apple might introduce subscription-only Apple Intelligence features in the future. Although, for now, Apple Intelligence will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, it’s uncertain whether the initial features will be compelling enough to drive significant iPhone upgrades.