By Shubham Verma

Copyright republicworld

Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event, scheduled for September 9, will be crucial to its future. While it will mainly focus on new hardware, including the next-generation iPhones, sceptics will closely observe what the company has up its sleeves in terms of its artificial intelligence offerings.Besides the headlining products, like the iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air, and new Watches, Apple is expected to announce partnerships with AI companies during the keynote. These partnerships, experts believe, could work as a placeholder until the company’s AI-infused Siri is ready. Apple has already confirmed an indefinite delay to the release of its next-generation virtual assistant, but it previously tried to soften the blow through collaborations with OpenAI.At the Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) in June this year, Apple previewed a few enhancements to Apple Intelligence, including new translation features, similar to those of Google, and deeper integration with ChatGPT and Claude AI. However, these additions will not be very significant, falling short of the claims that iPhone users were promised last year.Announced last year, Apple Intelligence has received a lukewarm reception compared to rivals, such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While the company announced a vivid plan to ramp up its AI-focused efforts, it has not taken shape yet. Software releases since the announcement have focused on fine-tuning Apple Intelligence, lacking substantial feature upgrades found on other services.One of them is an AI-powered Siri. According to Apple, this version of the company’s voice assistant will be contextually aware to understand queries and commands better. It will be a counterpart to ChatGPT Voice Mode and Gemini Live, at least that is what Apple’s last year’s promotional teasers described the AI Siri as. This version can read on-screen content and offer suggestions and better answers by referencing user data. But this overhaul is delayed until next year.That leaves Apple in a tough spot, especially amid the onslaught from companies like Samsung and Google. But the Tim Cook-led company is prepared. Its shiny new iPhones will be a good distraction for users awaiting new Apple Intelligence features.The upcoming iPhone 17 Air, the company’s thinnest device, will be a showstopper. Latest leaks claim it will be called just the iPhone Air, making it stand out from the rest of the lineup. The Air will be under 6mm thick and feature a near bezel-less screen design. Its screen size could be close to the one on the Pro Max model, but it will sacrifice battery and cameras for a thin body. Analysts believe the iPhone Air could set the stage for the company’s future products, including an all-glass iPhone without buttons or ports.Apple’s standard iPhone could finally have what the Pro models have had for years: a ProMotion Display. With a 120Hz panel, the screen on the iPhone 17 will refresh faster and make animations look smoother. The Dynamic Island could also shrink slightly, while the front camera could also be upgraded. The Pro models will receive the biggest upgrades, including redesigned camera systems, bigger batteries, and anti-reflective screens of the same size as before.Read more: Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ Event Today: iPhone 17 Air, AirPods Pro 3, and Everything to Expect