AppleInsider Podcast F1, Apple Intelligence, an Apple AI Pin, and iPhone 18 rumors on the AppleInsider Podcast
Jan 23, 2026
Apple is set for an Oscar with its F1 involvement, while Craig Federighi takes charge of the AI team and plans for Siri's transformation into a chatbot. There's buzz about a new AI pin, with discussions on its unique features and privacy advantages. The iPhone 18 Pro rumors include under-display Face ID and a more compact Dynamic Island. Tensions arise in social media, with updates on X/Grok and emerging platforms like BlueSky and Threads. Finally, Apple's presence at the Super Bowl highlights cultural connections.
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Federighi Consolidates Apple AI Leadership
- Craig Federighi now oversees Siri and parts of Apple Intelligence, consolidating leadership after earlier restructures.
- This signals Apple is centralizing assistant and AI efforts under engineering leadership rather than external AI execs.
Hardware To Showcase Apple Intelligence
- Apple may ship a home hub device to make Apple Intelligence tangible, pairing hardware with software launches.
- A wearable AI pin is rumored, but its purpose and privacy tradeoffs remain unclear.
Siri Will Become A Contextual Agent
- Apple will make Siri more 'chatbot-like' without creating a standalone chat app, integrating long-term memory and deeper context.
- Expect Siri to access prior interactions and system-level Apple Intelligence rather than mimic ChatGPT's app model.
