(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. rolled out the first developer beta versions of iOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3 on Tuesday, putting new features like always-listening artificial intelligence tools, its AI platform for China and a fresh Health app into widespread testing. <\/p>\n
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The controversial Audio Intelligence capabilities, which work with the company’s Series 12 and Ultra 4 smartwatches, were unveiled more than a month ago as part of a September product launch event. The idea is to use AI and a device’s microphone to track and analyze nearby conversations. <\/p>\n
Among the new audio tools is Siri Recap, which turns key topics from conversations into bullet points in a fashion similar to apps like Granola and Otter. The company is also introducing Live Rewind, which can display text transcriptions of what was said during the previous 15 seconds of a conversation. Apple has used the example of replaying part of an exchange with a waitress at a restaurant so you don’t have to ask her to repeat herself. <\/p>\n
The features are only available in English to start and remain in a testing stage. Still, the technology is poised to challenge certain states’ eavesdropping laws, especially those that require all parties involved to agree to being recorded. It also threatens to fuel broader concerns about privacy: Apple joins Meta Platforms Inc. and other tech companies in launching AI-powered devices intended to play a bigger role in everyday life, from tracking activities to recording video and conversations. <\/p>\n
The beta releases are first available for developers, while Apple also typically releases a public beta version for consumers. The full rollout is scheduled for December. Other big features in the latest release include support for some Apple Intelligence capabilities in China, the result of years of negotiations between the iPhone maker and the Asian nation. The features were approved after the inclusion of a content filter powered by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Apple also released the first betas of macOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3, visionOS 27.3 and iPadOS 27.3. <\/p>\n
The localized Apple Intelligence features only include the enhancements originally launched in late 2024 and early 2025 in the US and elsewhere, such as notification summaries, the Genmoji custom emoji maker and writing tools. It lacks newer capabilities like more advanced photo editing, improved image generation and Siri AI. The upgraded voice assistant relies on models from Alphabet Inc., which aren’t available in China. <\/p>\n
Another new feature in iOS 27.3 is a redesigned Health app that includes an Insights tab for monitoring heart rate, vital signs and fitness metrics like steps taken. It also has a Longevity tab that provides more detailed information about a user’s heart, hearing, movement, metabolic and mental health, and a new Health Age feature that estimates a person’s age based on their health. Many of these options were previously available on competing platforms like Whoop and Oura. <\/p>\n
When Apple unveiled the AI audio features in September, it touted several privacy protections, including an audible alert that sounds when a user requests a Live Rewind readout. It also processes the audio on the device \u2014 rather than through the internet \u2014 and Apple has given assurances that the underlying audio isn’t actually recorded or stored. Moreover, the company has said the tools don’t attribute comments to specific named individuals and summaries may omit potentially sensitive material such as financial information, personal identifiers or authentication data. <\/p>\n
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek <\/p>\n
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