Apple Adds AI Photo Tools to iOS 27, iPad, Mac This Fall

Apple plans to introduce four new AI photo editing tools—Extend, Enhance, Reframe, and Clean Up—to iPhone, iPad, and Mac software launching this fall, according to Bloomberg. The move aims to close a competitive gap with Android rivals such as Google and Samsung in AI-powered photo editing capabilities.

New Photo Editing Tools and Capabilities

The tools in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will allow users to expand image borders, improve color and lighting, and adjust perspective. However, internal testing has been uneven for some features, and Apple could delay or scale them back before release. The current Clean Up tool has already drawn complaints about artifacts and inaccurate edits.

Competitive Positioning Against Rivals

Apple's AI photo editing currently trails tools from Google and Samsung, with some assessments calling it a generation behind. In direct comparisons, Apple's Clean Up tool ranked last, struggling with object selection and often producing unrealistic fills in busy images. Apple's support documents acknowledge that using Clean Up on a person's face can leave it blurred or pixelated.

By contrast, Samsung's Generative Edit receives praise for accuracy, while Google's broader editing suite is often treated as the industry gold standard due to its wider range of features.

Hardware Requirements and Future Monetization

Clean Up requires newer Apple devices, including an iPhone 15 Pro or a Mac with an M1 chip or later. The AI photo tools will be offered free initially, but analysts expect Apple to introduce a paid subscription tier later, with pricing estimated at $10 to $20 per month. This approach could help offset Apple's substantial AI infrastructure spending, including a reported $4.75 billion investment in servers during 2024, while expanding the company's services revenue.