- According to Mark Gurman's latest newsletter, the on-device AI features may be restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, plus the upcoming iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.
- The A17 Pro chipset boasts 8GB integrated RAM, significantly faster CPU and GPU cores, and a new 16-core Neural Engine that can perform up to 35 trillion operations per second.
- With this exclusivity, Apple might also want users to upgrade to the latest "Pro" models.
The upcoming iOS 18 is likely to boast an array of AI features for iPhones when it arrives at WWDC 2024 on June 10. Ever since Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Generative AI is coming to iPhones, people have been curious (and worried) to know which iPhones will get the iOS 18’s AI features. Now, a rumor has hinted at this important detail.
Apple is likely to use a combination of on-device and cloud for AI processing. However, this doesn’t mean “any” iPhone model is capable of handling on-device processing. Only people using the flagship devices will get the new AI features. According to Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter, the on-device AI may be restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, plus the upcoming iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.
Mark Gurman writes “Most of the on-device features will be supported by iPhone, iPad and Mac chips released in the last year or so.” For the iPhones, it is the A17 Pro chipset, which arrived in September 2023 with iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are powered by the older A16 chipset.
Now, this means users have to own the latest and premium “Pro” iPhones to use every new iOS 18 feature. This is likely because the A17 Pro chipset has made a huge jump in terms of capabilities and performance. The A17 chipset boasts 8GB integrated RAM, significantly faster CPU and GPU cores, and a new 16-core Neural Engine that can perform up to 35 trillion operations per second. For on-device AI processing, Apple might need those technical requirements.
With this exclusivity, Apple might also want users to upgrade to the latest “Pro” models. Well, I don’t think many users would be ready to upgrade their iPhones just for AI. I mean, users who already own an iPhone 15 or iPhone 14 Pro would be more than satisfied. Of course, the new AI features in iOS 18 would be damn exciting, but not everyone would be interested in them, especially when they have to make an upgrade.
Of course, the upgrade might be needed for AI features processed on-device. The upcoming iOS 18 will also introduce cloud-based AI features, and Apple is in talks with OpenAI for a partnership deal. It won’t be too much to assume that cloud-based will be available to any iOS 18-supported iPhone.
It sounds like AI features in iOS 18 would be Apple’s big move to get its users to upgrade their iPhones. But, do the rumored AI features sound so lucrative that people will make an upgrade? What do you think? Don’t forget to share your opinions in the comments below.
