Upgrade-less: iPhone 15 Pro to Receive Visual Intelligence Feature
iPhone 15 Pro owners will soon have one less reason to consider upgrading to an iPhone 16 series handset. According to Daring Fireball, Visual Intelligence, Apple’s equivalent to Google Lens, is set to arrive on the 2023 Pro-series flagships.

Triggering Visual Intelligence
Owners of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro can activate Visual Intelligence with a long press of their dedicated camera button. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, as well as the recently announced iPhone 16e, do not have a physical camera button. As a result, these devices will need to assign the feature to the Action button or use a Control Center shortcut, which will be introduced in an upcoming software update.

iOS Update
Apple has not specified which iOS version will bring the Visual Intelligence feature to the iPhone 15 Pro series. Nevertheless, John Gruber from Daring Fireball suspects that it will arrive with iOS 18.4, which could be released "any day now" for beta testers, as reported by Cherlynn Low for Engadget.

Visual Intelligence Capabilities
As part of the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features, Visual Intelligence allows users to point their camera at an object and analyze it in real-time using AI. The feature can perform various tasks on its own, but its usefulness is enhanced when combined with information from persistent on-screen shortcuts to ChatGPT or Google Image Search.

Practical Applications
For instance, if you find a set of towels with a unique pattern and want to purchase more, you can activate Visual Intelligence, select the Google search shortcut, and see if the towels appear in the search results. Alternatively, you can use ChatGPT to inquire about the product and where to order it.

Independent Capabilities
Visual Intelligence can also function independently without relying on Google or OpenAI. Users can interact with text by translating, reading aloud, or summarizing it. Additionally, the feature can provide information about a business, including its hours, menu, and services, or even enable purchases from the business.

Availability
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max owners can expect to receive the Visual Intelligence feature soon. Those willing to participate in beta software testing may even get access to it sooner, despite the potential risks associated with beta software.