Google Lens has had the feature for more than a year now and it's incredibly useful. I wonder how the accuracy of Apple's version will compare.
Does Google lens also recognise text based on local models? I am not so happy about the idea of having Google analyse all my photos.
I just tried it with internet turned off in both the photos and standalone app, and it did not work.
I just found out the hard way that this feature is only supported on iPhone XS and later (seemingly any device with at least an A12 chip): https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212630
The most useful time I have ever used this was to enter one of those super long randomized string WiFi passwords that is printed on paper. Every text field in iOS now has the option to enter text via OCR!
I’m astonished how well and how quickly it works. I just upgraded with the release, but it’s quite snappy. At least as good as my previous experiences with Google lens.