Latest news with #iOS19.4
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Business Standard
Apple to introduce advanced Siri features in 2026 with iOS 19.4: Report
With iOS 19, Apple reportedly aims to rebuild Siri's underlying system from the ground up, a move expected to finally unlock the three major capabilities promised earlier New Delhi Apple Intelligence-powered advanced Siri abilities are now expected to roll out in spring next year, likely alongside the iOS 19.4 update. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is currently building a new architecture for its digital assistant, which could be ready by spring 2026. This means the delayed features—such as personalised responses, on-screen awareness, and cross-app functionality—may finally arrive on compatible devices next year. Gurman noted that Apple could announce the new Siri architecture as early as the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025 — 'with a launch by spring 2026 as part of iOS 19.4.' New Siri architecture: Details In his report, Gurman explained that the current version of Siri operates with 'two brains'—one handling legacy Siri commands like setting timers or making calls, and another managing more advanced queries. While these systems currently work together for certain tasks, like changing a request mid-command, the integration is not seamless. Apple had initially planned to merge these systems for iOS 18.4 to enable more powerful Siri features but ran into major challenges. Limited development time led to a "rash of bugs," with Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, reportedly raising concerns that the features weren't performing reliably. With iOS 19, Apple aims to rebuild Siri's underlying system from the ground up, a move expected to finally unlock the three major abilities promised earlier. Internally, Apple has also restructured leadership in its AI division, hoping to speed up development and improve stability. Notably, Siri oversight has reportedly been handed to Vision Pro chief Mike Rockwell, who is reorganising teams focusing on speech, understanding, performance, and user experience. Advanced Siri features Several new Siri abilities announced at WWDC 2024 are now expected to debut during the iOS 19 cycle: On-screen awareness: Siri will recognise what's currently displayed on the screen and act accordingly. For example, if a friend sends you their new address in Messages, you can ask Siri to "Add this address to their contact," and it will complete the task without needing more details. In-app actions: Powered by the App Intents framework, Siri will be able to perform complex, multi-step tasks across both Apple and third-party apps—without having to open them. For instance, you could ask Siri to find a photo, edit it, and save it to a specific folder in the Files app. Personalisation: Thanks to an on-device semantic index enabled by Apple Intelligence, Siri will gain deep contextual awareness. It will be able to pull information from apps like Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and Files to assist with tasks—such as retrieving your driver's licence number from a stored image to autofill a form.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple's AI And The Next Era Of Preventive Care Innovation
Preventative healthcare may be redefined if AI innovations in smartphones are successful. Healthcare has been a reactive endeavor—waiting for symptoms to surface, scrambling to treat, and settling for incremental fixes. However, the paradigm is shifting, and Apple's rumored Project Mulberry, embedded within iOS 19.4, could mark a pivotal turning point. This isn't merely another health app; it's a proactive, AI-driven health coach poised to integrate seamlessly across iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, leveraging sensor data, camera analytics, and behavioral patterns to transform how we approach wellness. I have had the privilege of getting to know Dr. Harvey Castro. He has over two decades of experience as a physician, entrepreneur, and CEO of eight free-standing ERs, a medical billing and physician staffing company. He has become a driving force for change. He currently serves as a strategic advisor for ChatGPT and health care. In addition to his medical accomplishments, Dr. Castro has developed over 30 iPhone apps and wrote the first medical book on Apple's Vision Pro called Apple Vision Healthcare Pioneers. I recently read Dr. Castro's comments where he gave what I feel is an essential perspective on Apple's Project Mulberry that came to light last week in Bloomberg's Mark Gurman's newsletter. It is reportedly an AI health coach that will replicate a real doctor. In an email exchange with Dr. Castro, I asked his thoughts on Project Mulberry. Here is what he told me in his email reply: " From Treatment to Prevention, as an ER physician, I've witnessed the human cost of late-stage intervention. The true promise of healthcare lies not in reactive measures but in early detection—or, better yet, preemptive action. Apple's AI coach aims to do precisely that: analyze heart rate variability, glucose trends, and even retinal scans to identify risks before symptoms manifest. Imagine your device nudging you with, "Your stress biomarkers are elevated—try this 5-minute breathing exercise," or analyzing a meal photo to suggest, "Opt for more fiber today based on your metabolic profile." This is clinical-grade insight distilled into everyday guidance. In an AI-physician partnership, the future of medicine isn't about replacing doctors but augmenting their capabilities. As I often emphasize, "AI won't replace physicians—but physicians who harness AI will outpace those who don't." Apple's system mirrors clinical reasoning, cross-referencing data against global health benchmarks to deliver hyper-personalized advice. It's a tool that empowers users to understand their bodies while equipping clinicians with predictive analytics to intervene earlier." Traditional population health models often generalize risk, but Apple's approach offers a more personalized solution. By dynamically stratifying individuals and identifying early biomarkers for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or neurological decline, Apple could make precision medicine more accessible. For underserved communities, this could be a game-changer: a smartphone camera that detects signs of hypertensive retinopathy or metabolic changes could provide an early warning system where healthcare facilities are limited. Innovation comes with responsibility. If Apple launches a Health+ subscription, ensuring accessibility should be a top priority to prevent widening inequalities. AI models must undergo thorough validation, data privacy must be protected, and outcomes should be regularly monitored. The aim is not to create an exclusive service for the wealthy, but to establish a global standard for fair and equal healthcare. I recognize how crucial it is to stay informed about one's health. After undergoing a triple bypass in 2012, I now understand the reasons behind it. If I had an AI coach tracking my vitals and recommended preventive steps, there's a good chance I could have avoided needing that surgery. Dr. Castro sums up his perspective on Project Mulberry in the following way- 'Project Mulberry isn't just another product launch—it's a blueprint for healthcare's next chapter. By shifting the focus from crisis management to continuous, AI-guided prevention, Apple could redefine its legacy, proving that technology's highest purpose is to keep people healthy before they ever need a hospital. As someone who's raced against time in ERs, I see Project Mulberry not as a gadget but as a lifeline—one that whispers warnings long before alarms sound. And in that quiet intervention lies the future of medicine.' If Apple and others are successful in bringing a legitimate health coach to smartphones, the era of passive health tracking could be over. With AI as our ally, we're entering an age where every heartbeat, every meal, and every breath becomes part of a preventive dialogue. Disclosure: Apple subscribes to Creative Strategies research reports along with many other high tech companies around the world.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Apple reportedly revamping Health app to add an AI coach
Apple is developing a new version of its Health app that includes an AI coach that can advise users on how to get healthier, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first reported that something like this was in the works back in 2023, but now he says development is moving ahead, with the new features potentially coming as soon as spring or summer of 2026, with the release of iOS 19.4. The AI coach's advice would be based on data from across users' medical devices, and would reportedly include food tracking. The coach is currently being trained on data from staff physicians, with Apple looking to bring in additional doctors to record health-related videos. According to Gurman, this new service is tentatively called Health+.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Apple is said to be developing a revamped Health app with a built-in AI doctor
An AI overhaul may be on the horizon for Apple's Health app. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a much more comprehensive version of its Health app under the code name Project Mulberry, with plans to integrate an AI agent that would somewhat 'replicate' a doctor and act as a personal health coach. In addition to making lifestyle recommendations based on users' health data, the app will reportedly include educational videos from real doctors about an array of health topics. The Health app will also put a new emphasis on food tracking, and may even offer form correction tips for workouts using the device's camera, Gurman reports. The service, unofficially being referred to as Health+, could arrive with iOS 19.4, which Gurman says is expected to be released next spring or summer. In the meantime, Apple reportedly has doctors on staff whose data is being used to train the AI agent, and it's planning to open a studio near Oakland, California where they can film content. Don't be surprised if Health+ arrives with a celebrity doctor on board, too — according to Gurman, Apple is on the hunt for a 'major doctor personality' to be the face of the service.
Forbes
30-03-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Apple To Release ‘Completely Revamped' iPhone Upgrade For Health, Report Claims
Apple is working on a significant upgrade to the company's health features for users, according to a new report. Well, CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly said health will be the company's biggest legacy. Here's what's thought to be on its way. The report comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter. 'The initiative is called Project Mulberry, and it involves a completely revamped Health app plus a health coach. The service would be powered by a new AI agent that would replicate—at least to some extent—a real doctor,' Gurman says. Although it's been going for some time, it's now 'full steam ahead, with a release due as early as iOS 19.4. That update is scheduled for spring or summer of next year,' Gurman says. The timing of iOS 19.4 seems right—after all, this year's equivalent in the cycle, iOS 18.4, is almost certain to land in a matter of hours. Full details here. It seems that Apple is planning to do one of the things it does best: integrating its hardware, software and services to make the most of the data it can access, with user permission. 'The idea is this: The Health app will continue to collect data from your devices (whether that's the iPhone, Apple Watch, earbuds or third-party products), and then the AI coach will use that information to offer tailor-made recommendations about ways to improve health,' Gurman explains. And this could mean Apple using Apple Intelligence as part of this. 'The company is currently training the AI agent with data from physicians that it has on staff. Apple is also looking to bring in outside doctors, including experts in sleep, nutrition, physical therapy, mental health and cardiology, to create videos. That content would serve as explainers to users about certain conditions and how to make lifestyle improvements. For instance, if the Health app receives data about poor heart-rate trends, a video explaining the risks of heart disease could appear,' he says. This sounds like the classic Apple play, to build on a well-respected app that's known for its accessibility, to add more features and capabilities. Apparently, Apple is looking for a 'major doctor personality' to act as a host. And it sounds like there will be a charge for this as some are calling it Health+. There's a lot of potential here, with references to food tracking, nutrition features from the AI agent and using the camera to study users' workouts and offer advice. When will we see this? 'The work is a top priority — and almost the entire focus currently — of Apple's health group,' Gurman concludes, so that may mean we hear something about it in the coming weeks, at this year's WWDC in June as part of its iOS 19 reveal.
