On September 9th local time, Apple released the first iPhone 16 series phone equipped with AI function, but the market response was lukewarm. Some analysts believe that Apple is not outstanding in the field of AI applications, with insufficient innovation highlights. In addition, the replacement cycle has not yet arrived, and Apple phones and related products may not effectively boost the company's future performance. Unlike the previous focus on improving parameters such as camera, chip, and appearance specifications, the AI function of Apple phones this time is the focus of market attention. The application of Apple Intelligence on the new mobile phone will be launched first in the United States in October, launched in English speaking countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom) in December, and will start to be launched in China, France, Japan, and Spain next year. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun quoted IDC's report that generative AI phones will ignite the market, and predicted that in 2024, smartphone shipments will return to an increasing trend after two years, of which 18% will be generative AI phones. Apple, which started relatively late, is trying to turn the tide with its new smartphones. However, industry insiders say that Apple's AI path is difficult to be optimistic about. Firstly, there may be regional imbalances in the scope of Apple's smart applications. In the European Union, due to regulatory constraints, it is expected that the launch of Apple's smart devices will be delayed. In China, the world's largest smartphone market, the prospects for cooperation between Apple and local generative AI development companies are still unclear. Secondly, in terms of AI investment and collaboration, Apple's pace has been slightly slower. The Wall Street Journal reported that the demand for AI powered iPhones will become a touchstone for testing the market's interest in this technology. Apple's competitors have invested heavily in developing models that can chat and interact with users, write content, and create images and animations in a human like manner. However, the profit prospects of many companies remain uncertain, and investors have become more cautious about AI spending since the beginning of this year. Compared to its competitors, Apple has not invested huge amounts of money in AI, but hopes to leverage external resources and participate in the market by collaborating with the most advanced AI companies. Once again, the slower replacement cycle has also planted uncertainty in the growth of Apple's smartphone performance. According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), telecom operators play a significant role in the purchase of new phones in the United States, accounting for approximately three-quarters of the country's total new iPhone sales. Although upgrade discounts still exist, some iPhone customers have postponed the replacement in recent years because the design innovations or new features of the new generation iPhone are not as important. (New Society)