At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, a new suite of AI features coming to iPhones, Macs, and iPads later this year. However, it will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and iPads and Macs with at least an M1 chip.
The features include AI-powered Siri, tools for text rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing, and Image Playground for creating images in apps.
Explanation from Apple Executives
During a WWDC talk show, John Gruber of Daring Fireball questioned Apple executives John Giannandrea (AI/machine learning head), Greg Joswiak (marketing chief), and Craig Federighi (software engineering chief) about the limited compatibility of Apple Intelligence.
Giannandrea explained,
When you run these models at runtime, it’s called inference, and the inference of large language models is incredibly computationally expensive. It’s a combination of bandwidth in the device, the size of the Apple Neural Engine, and the device’s power to run these models quickly enough to be useful.
He added, “You could, in theory, run these models on a very old device, but it would be so slow that it would not be useful.”
When Gruber asked if the limitation was a tactic to boost iPhone sales, Joswiak responded,
No, not at all. Otherwise, we would have been smart enough just to do our most recent iPads and Macs too, wouldn’t we?
Hardware Requirements
Federighi noted that while Apple strives to bring new features to older devices, Apple Intelligence needs specific hardware to function correctly.
The iPhone 15 Pro models use the A17 Pro chip with a 16-core Neural Engine, much faster than the A16 chip in older models.
He also mentioned that all compatible devices have at least 8GB of RAM, another critical factor, and for MacBooks or iPads, an M1 chip or newer is required.
If you don’t have an iPhone 15 Pro but want Apple Intelligence, you might have to wait for the iPhone 16 series, expected in the fall. Every iPhone that can run iOS 17 will also support iOS 18, including the iPhone XR from 2018.
Looking Ahead
Apple Intelligence marks a major advancement in personalized AI, but its hardware requirements show the challenge of balancing innovation and accessibility.
While not everyone can access these features right away, Apple is clearly investing in the future of AI on its devices.