Your iPhone 15 Pro will get a Visual Intelligence upgrade soon – here’s why that’s a big deal

iPhone 15 Pro has just caught up

News By John-Anthony Disotto last updated 21 February 2025

(Image credit: Apple)

• Apple Intelligence's iPhone 16-exclusive Visual Intelligence is coming to iPhone 15 Pro
• An Apple spokesperson confirmed the AI feature will be coming to iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max in a future update
• Visual Intelligence allows you to get information on objects you point your camera towards

Earlier today I wrote about how the iPhone 16e getting Visual Intelligence was a sucker punch to iPhone 15 Pro owners who still didn't have access to one of Apple Intelligence's best tools. Well, it looks like iPhone 15 Pro owners are in luck, as it has now been confirmed that Visual Intelligence is coming to the 2023 smartphone.

An Apple spokesperson told John Gruber from Daring Fireball that "owners of the iPhone 15 Pro will soon be able to bind their Action Button to Visual Intelligence" and that this will come “in a future software update".

Not only will iPhone 15 Pro owners get Visual Intelligence via the Action Button but the Apple representatives also confirmed that the "Control Center button to launch Visual Intelligence is also coming to iPhone 15 Pro (and presumably iPhone 16 models, too)."

This is huge news for iPhone 15 Pro owners who have been on the fence about whether or not to upgrade to an iPhone 16, 16 Pro, or the new 16e just for Visual Intelligence. Personally, I don't think Visual Intelligence is enough to warrant an upgrade, although it was a major deciding factor for me when I purchased the 16 Pro back in September.

Had I known the 15 Pro would get Visual Intelligence, I may not have opted for a new device this year. That said, if you were holding out for an upgrade and are perfectly happy with the iPhone 15 Pro (which you should be, it's an excellent device) then you've now got a major new AI tool coming in a future update.

iPhone 15 Pro matches iPhone 16's Apple Intelligence capabilities

The biggest shift with this news is the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro now matches the latest flagship iPhones in terms of Apple Intelligence functionality.

In my testing of Apple AI across multiple devices, I've found the performance to be pretty equal across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. That means I fully expect iPhone 15 Pro users to get as good an experience as iPhone 16 owners when it comes to Visual Intelligence.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors