Apple is expected to unveil various on-device and cloud-based AI features later this year when it unveils iOS 18. We will likely get a preview of these additions at the company’s upcoming WWDC 2024 keynote, which will kick off on June 10. Unfortunately, if you have anything older than an iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, then you might not get to experience those features.
iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may not support iOS 18’s on-device and cloud-based AI features, as both feature the A16 Bionic
While we should get a sneak peek of what to expect from iOS 18 next month to witness those features in action, Mark Gurman mentions in a post on X that you will require an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 15 Pro Max. The A17 Pro being more capable than the A16 Bionic is likely one of the reasons why compatibility of these features is exclusive to Apple’s latest ‘Pro’ models, but it could also be due to the fact that the new SoC features a better Neural Engine.
This difference alone might be one primary reason why Apple is reported to introduce an improved Neural Engine to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it should allow both models to run more on-device AI features and fewer cloud-based ones. A chipset with more powerful CPU cores is always an advantage, but a Neural Processing Unit, or NPU, is necessary when accessing those features. For those who do not know, we have reported that Siri in iOS 18 may stop being your standard voice-enabled assistant and could give users additional control when taking on multiple commands.
Apple is betting that the new AI features for the iPhone will encourage users to upgrade their devices. Many of the on-device AI capabilities will require an iPhone 15 Pro or later to work. Macs and iPads, meanwhile, will need at least an M1 chip. https://t.co/iSDTs6Xahi
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 31, 2024
Furthermore, we expect the software update to arrive with generative AI baked into it, making it another reason why the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the bare minimum hardware required. It is disappointing that Apple has left out the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which feature the A16 Bionic, and that also means leaving out the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max from the compatibility list. Regarding specifications, these are still capable devices, so let us see if Apple offers some limited capabilities when iOS 18 goes live later this year.
Also, for those wondering about AI features coming to macOS and their compatibility, Gurman states that the M1 will be the bare minimum. This means that if you have an Intel-powered Mac in your possession, you will be out of luck when it comes to running on-device and cloud-based AI features.
News Source: Mark Gurman
