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A surprising 80% of people would pay for Apple Intelligence, according to a new survey – here’s why

April 23, 2025
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  • 80% of people would pay for Apple Intelligence, a survey has found
  • Over 50% of respondents would be happy to pay $10 a month or more
  • The results are surprising given Apple Intelligence’s history of struggles

Apple Intelligence hasn’t exactly received rave reviews since it was announced in summer 2024, with critics pointing to its delayed features and disappointing performance compared to rivals like ChatGPT. Yet that apparently hasn’t dissuaded consumers, with a new survey suggesting that huge numbers of people are enticed by Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform (via MacRumors).

The survey was conducted by investment company Morgan Stanley, and it found that one in two respondents would be willing to pay at least $10 a month (around £7.50 / AU$15 p/month) for unlimited access to Apple Intelligence. Specifically, 30% would accept paying between $10 and $14.99, while a further 22% would be okay with paying $15 or more. Just 14% of respondents were unwilling to pay anything for Apple Intelligence and 6% weren’t sure, implying that 80% of people wouldn’t mind forking out for the service.

According to 9to5Mac, the survey found that 42% of people said it was extremely important or very important that their next iPhone featured Apple Intelligence, while 54% of respondents who planned to upgrade in the next 12 months said the same thing. All in all, the survey claimed that its results showed “stronger-than-expected consumer perception for Apple Intelligence.”

Morgan Stanley’s survey polled approximately 3,300 people, and it says that the sample is representative of the United States’ population in terms of age, gender, and religion.

Surprising results

Apple Intelligence on an iPhone and iPad.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you’ve been following Apple Intelligence, you’ll probably know it’s faced a pretty bumpy road in the months since it launched. For one thing, it has received much criticism for its ability to carry out tasks for users, with many people comparing it unfavorably to some of the best AI services like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot.

As well as that, Apple has been forced to delay some of Apple Intelligence’s headline features, such as its ability to work within apps and understand what is happening on your device’s screen. These were some of Apple Intelligence’s most intriguing aspects, yet Apple’s heavy promotion of these tools hasn’t translated into working features.

That all makes these survey results seem rather surprising, but there could be a few reasons behind them. Perhaps consumers are happy to have any AI features on their Apple devices, even if they’re missing a few key aspects at the moment.

Or maybe those people who were willing to pay for Apple Intelligence did so based on getting the full feature set, rather than the incomplete range of abilities that are currently available. Alternatively, it could be that everyday users haven’t been following Apple Intelligence’s struggles as much as tech-savvy consumers and so aren’t acutely aware of its early difficulties.

Whatever the reasons, it’s interesting to see how many people are still enticed by Apple Intelligence. It will be encouraging reading for Apple, which has faced much bad press for its AI system, and might suggest that Apple Intelligence is not in as bad a spot as we might have thought.

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