In a new report published at Seeking Alpha, Morgan Stanley shared the results of its recent survey of 3,300 US iPhone owners. The subject? Apple Intelligence. And in a surprise, consumers are finding the iPhone's AI features more useful than the firm expected.
Morgan Stanley's new survey shows Apple Intelligence exceeding expectations
Chris Ciaccia writes at Seeking Alpha:
Woodring said nearly 80% of all eligible U.S. iPhone owners have downloaded and engaged with Apple Intelligence over the past six months. Many have described it as easy to use, innovative or something that improves their user experience. As such, nearly 42% of respondents said it's extremely or very important for their next iPhone to have Apple Intelligence; and 54% of respondents who are likely to upgrade in the next 12 months said it's extremely or very important for their next iPhone to have Apple Intelligence.
The survey also showed that on average, U.S. consumers would pay up to $9.11 per month for unlimited Apple Intelligence access, up 11% from the September 2024 survey.
All of this amounts, per the report, to “stronger-than-expected consumer perception for Apple Intelligence”.
What's left unsaid is how exactly these survey responses compare to the kind of feedback Morgan Stanley expected. That's an important data point that's missing.
However, at a time when Apple Intelligence stories tend to focus on Apple's struggles, such as with delayed Siri upgrades, this survey offers a helpful additional perspective.
9to5Mac's Take
If you're tuned into the latest tech news, you'll know that Apple is generally seen as ‘behind' its AI competition.
To the average iPhone user though, using Genmoji, notification summaries, or new Photos features may be their first time ever encountering AI. Those consumers may not have anything to compare Apple Intelligence against.
In that context, perhaps Apple's slow AI start isn't as big a problem as some assume. Particularly if iOS 19 is able to bring the delayed Siri features and other new upgrades, Apple could easily start being perceived—at least by the average user—as a leader in AI.
What are your takeaways from this Apple Intelligence survey? Let us know in the comments.
