When will Apple Intelligence come to Apple TV and Apple Watch?

Google recently announced that it is bringing its Gemini AI assistant to Google TV. At the same time on our sister site 9to5Google We’ve found evidence that Gemini will soon be included in Wear OS, Google’s operating system for smartwatches. On Apple’s side, devices like Apple TV and Apple Watch don’t support Apple Intelligence, leading some to wonder when that will change.

Apple’s competitors bring AI to TVs and smartwatches

When it comes to Apple Intelligence, its features are only available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Still, the list is quite limited. Apple Intelligence requires a device with an A17 Pro chip (such as the iPhone 15 Pro or iPad mini 7) or later, or an M1 chip or later.

Apple says it’s bringing Apple Intelligence to more devices in the future, but hasn’t said which devices will be introduced next or exactly when. For now, Apple Intelligence tools are not available to owners of Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod, and even Apple Vision Pro. So let’s take a look at what the competition has been up to so far.

As mentioned earlier, Google announced at CES 2025 that it will bring Gemini to Google TV. When we talk about generative AI, most people definitely think of chatbots for answering questions or writing texts. In part, that’s what Gemini does with Google TV. The company says that AI makes “searching for media easier than ever.”

However, there are some features designed to improve your TV experience. For example, Gemini allows users to create art with their families or even ask for an overview of the day’s news. Google also announced AI-generated screensavers and summaries of movies and shows.

With Wear OS, Gemini certainly helps users have more natural conversations with their smartwatches, and definitely makes it easier to interact with these devices even when your smartphone isn’t nearby.

Apple Intelligence on Apple TV and Apple Watch

Now, let’s get back to Apple. When will Apple Intelligence come to Apple TV and Apple Watch? Unfortunately, it probably won’t happen anytime soon. There are two reasons for this.

First, Apple Intelligence is being rolled out in stages. The first phase introduced writing tools and text summarization. The second phase enabled features like Genmoji and Image Playgrounds, as well as the integration of ChatGPT into Siri. The third phase, expected to be released by spring, will make Siri visible on your screen and control actions between apps.

Most of these features are completely useless for devices like Apple TV and Apple Watch. I think having ChatGPT on the Apple Watch can be useful in some cases, but I don’t think it’s a game-changing feature. On-screen recognition sounds great, as does the ability to better control apps with your voice, but these features aren’t yet available on iPhones, iPads, or Macs.

Perhaps Apple wants to improve the Apple Intelligence experience on these devices first before extending the feature to other devices.

But there is a second most important reason. It’s the hardware. As mentioned earlier, Apple Intelligence requires the latest chips because almost everything is processed on the device to improve privacy. Unless Apple creates a lightweight language model for Apple TV and Apple Watch, current hardware cannot currently support Apple Intelligence.

The latest Apple TV, introduced in 2022, has the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13. Rumor has it that a new Apple TV is scheduled for release in 2025, but it’s unclear when that will happen or if it will include the chip. Can run Apple Intelligence. As for the Apple Watch, we’ll probably have to wait until at least September for new hardware.

That means anyone expecting Apple Intelligence on these devices will probably have to wait a little longer. In the meantime, let us know what you’d like to see from Apple Intelligence on Apple TV and Apple Watch in the comments section below.

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