Tech Desk 
Sep 10, 2024
When it comes to seeing something unfamiliar and feeling an uncontrolled urge to know it in detail, Google Lens is one the most remarkable innovations Google ever came up with.
But it seems gone are the days when Google is in the lead, as Apple yesterday at its Glowtime event lifted the veil off its Visual Intelligence, a direct rival to Google Lens.
The visual assistant for the iPhone 16's surroundings is associated with Apple's broader Apple Intelligence suite, entailing a variety of AI-backed features to cater to a wide range of iPhone users' needs and preferences.
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The functionalities of Visual Intelligence are quite similar to those of Google Lens, as the former delivers contextual information about anything compatible iPhone users will point the camera at.
Since its object identification, users will be able to identify objects such as animals, historical places, popular figures, and much more.
Once run, the AI-driven tool will bring the most relevant information such as menus and ratings from a restaurant. Not only this, but the tools will also enable users to add flyer events to their calendars.
What sets Apple's Visual Intelligence apart from Google Lens is that users' search queries will remain private, as Apple says even the company has chosen not to save the history of what users will find using its service.
Visual Intelligence works through a “combination of on-device intelligence and Apple services that never store your images,” according to Apple.
