iPhone 16 came without AI features, Pixel 9 missed Android 15: Why a concern?

This year the smartphone industry witnessed some of the biggest launches with artificial intelligence entering the race. At the start of 2024, the Galaxy S24 series took the industry by storm, with new updates and Galaxy AI. Then we witnessed Apple’s WWDC event which created much hype for iPhone 16’s Apple Intelligence.

Now, most recently, Google launched the Pixel 9 series with some new AI upgrades but it missed out on Android 15 at the launch which came as a disappointment to many users. Now, last week Apple started the sale for the iPhone 16 series that again came without Apple Intelligence, which was the most hyped feature for the new-generation iPhone. The delay in major smartphone upgrades has become a major issue among brands. Know why this may be a concern.

Why delaying major software upgrades is a concern?

This year, Apple created a buzz for the iPhone 16 series to become the first AI iPhone. However, as the sale started on September 20, users got to know that the iPhone 16 series does not support Apple Intelligence and that they have to wait for another month or till March 2025. A similar case occurred with the Google Pixel 9 series, as the smartphone launched without the Android 15 update. Earlier, the new generation software and devices used to launch together for users to get first-hand experience out of the box. This policy allowed Google to provide 7 years of OS upgrades. Now, Pixel 9 users will get 6 years of OS upgrades, which is also raising huge questions about Google’s policies and services offered for long-term support.

Now, Android 15 and iOS 18.1 with AI features are speculated to roll out next month in October. The delay may affect the sale of new-generation smartphones as users will get to experience the new features later than expected. On the other hand, the companies have created much hype about the upcoming update and if users can not experience them right away, then it could come as a disappointment and may also cloud their decision to purchase the device. While Android 15 will be officially rolled out next month, Apple Intelligence may take months to roll out all the previewed features. Therefore, buyers decide to wait for the iPhone 17 series to enjoy advanced AI features out of the box rather than waiting for updates every few months.

The Android 15 rollout delay may also impact other partnered OEMs since almost all the smartphones are based on Android UI. Therefore, other brands may also experience delays in developing personalised UI based on the new Android 15 update. In a recent report, Samsung’s One UI 7 was also rumoured to be delayed from its speculated launch timeline which may affect the launch for the company’s upcoming smartphone models. This may become a new trend in the coming months.