I don’t think it is fair to review the first beta version of a product like this. I thought Apple had a policy for people not to write about their software/hardware until it is released to the public. Isn’t that why people like Gruber have their reviews ready to go the day the new iPhone is released because they’ve had to agree not to post their review of the iPhone they’ve had for 2 weeks. Or is there a different policy for beta software?
Interesting…I didn’t know that about the transcription thing. I went ahead and put the developer beta on my iPad so I could mess around a bit with the AI stuff. I don’t have the guts to put it on my phone, yet, just in case it breaks something critical.
The NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and embargo (restriction on publishing before a specific date) is heavily enforced for any media, podcasters, bloggers, youtubers, etc. that get hardware in their hands to use and prepare a review before the public release.
Beta software is very different. Anyone that pays a nominal $100/year and can fog a mirror can sign-up with Apple as a “developer” and receive access to all developer software tools, including developer betas of iOS and macOS.
TBH, I’m a Apple developer, but I would be hard-pressed to remember if NDA’s are required or the last time I read one.
ICYMI, MPU hosts and others talk publicly about beta features every year the same day as WWDC and then cover them in more details as they load the developer beta on their systems a few days after that and after each incremental developer update is rolled out.
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$100/year membership is no longer required to download developer betas (since the iOS 17 beta cycle last year). A free developer account was introduced last year, and once you accept the terms on the developer website, you can download developer betas. Public betas have never required the developer account. The payment is only required for other benefits including publishing on the app store.
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I’ve gotten the betas under a beta testing program (“Appleseed”) for 12 years now. There has always been an NDA, but it doesn’t seem to be enforced. Just go to the MacRumors site and all the beans are spilled day one from people on one program or another. There are tester-only forums on apple.com that allow open discussions among NDA’d people, but frankly there is more traffic on MacRumors!
They state:
the beta software is Apple confidential information. Don’t install the beta software on any systems you don’t directly control or that you share with others. Don’t blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the beta software, and don’t discuss the beta software with or demonstrate it to others who are not in the Apple Beta Software Program. If Apple has publicly disclosed technical information about the beta software, it is no longer considered confidential.
Not trying the Apple AI betas here because I don’t personally have an Apple product that will run them. My wife’s iPhone and iMac would, as well as my server Mac mini, but no beta software on those!
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I don’t see a problem. IMO this is just a “first look” at what will probably be a slow rollout of improvements over the next . . . year?
I’m going to give Apple plenty of runway to get AI off the ground and not upgrade until the iPhone 17 is available.
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not upgrade until the iPhone 17 is available
I have a 13, and that is probably what I will do as well. My 13 is doing just fine so there is no reason why I can’t wait.
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I guess the “first look” gives them an out, but the headline includes “its (slightly) smarter Siri”, which might get better in a future version of the beta. For me, real improvement to Siri is what I’m looking for in Apple AI, I sure hope they deliver it, but I also don’t have expectations they will deliver it during beta testing.
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Me too. Most of the other promised improvements don’t interest me.
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