Macworld iconMacworldSep 16, 2026 ~1 min source read

Apple outlines steep AI usage costs, and it’s probably going to get worse

Macworld With the launch of iOS 27 this week, Apple Intelligence has reached maturity, with a real chatbot assistant in Siri AI, powerful photo editing tools, and legitimately good image generation. Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools, which charge monthly fees for anyone who uses the service more than occasionally.

Apple outlines steep AI usage costs, and it’s probably going to get worse
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Macworld With the launch of iOS 27 this week, Apple Intelligence has reached maturity, with a real chatbot assistant in Siri AI, powerful photo editing tools, and legitimately good image generation.

Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools, which charge monthly fees for anyone who uses the service more than occasionally.

For example, the free Claude plan has "session-based usage limits" that can kick in when you're using it too much.

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The useful part

Macworld With the launch of iOS 27 this week, Apple Intelligence has reached maturity, with a real chatbot assistant in Siri AI, powerful photo editing tools, and legitimately good image generation. Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools, which charge monthly fees for anyone who uses the service more than occasionally. For example, the free Claude plan has "session-based usage limits" that can kick in when you're using it too much.

How it works

  • More than 5 cameras However, that 2TB plan, which costs $9.99 a month, is the least you can spend to get Apple's new AI Home app features, including video descriptions for recorded clips and...
  • Those limits don't exist with Siri AI or any of the Apple Intelligence tools.
  • Apple has always tied HomeKit Secure Video to iCloud accounts for recording and viewing footage, but the Apple Intelligence features are costlier.

Details worth keeping

Apple does charge for HomeKit Secure Video features. HomeKit Secure Video recording 50GB: 1 camera 200GB:

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