Will Apple Limit The New AI Features To iPhone 16 Pro? Here’s What We Know،
As we move through spring, Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is gearing up for one of its biggest launch events, which will take place this fall. The event will not only unveil the iPhone 16 but also introduce the world to the first version of iOS equipped with AI-based features – iOS 18. Although we have already talked a lot about the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro, a new report suggests that only these will receive the revolutionary AI capabilities. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
The A18 Pro will power on-device AI computing
As mentioned in an investor note from Jeff Pu (viewed by 9To5Mac), demand for Apple's A18 chip is increasing, while the market for the A17 Pro chip (which powers the iPhone 15 Pro line) has been growing. stabilized since February 2024. The analyst adds that Apple's A18 Pro, the one with a six-core GPU, will feature a larger chip area than its predecessor, “which could be a trend for computing cutting-edge AI. For those catching up, increasing chip area allows a chip to accommodate more transistors, resulting in improved performance. So, this part of the statement indicates that the processor will perform better than the A17 Pro, most likely with an upgraded NPU.
However, Edge AI computing refers to AI-related features that work offline, i.e. on-device. Combining the two statements, it appears that the A18 Pro chipset will be able to handle several features outside of the cloud. Still, the chipset will only be available in the Pro variants, so what about the regular iPhone 16? For years, Apple has maintained strong differentiation between the standard and Pro iPhone models, and there's a good chance that will limit some of the AI-based features on the Pro models.
iPhone 16 also reportedly features an improved neural engine
In February 2024, a report from the Economic Daily News suggested that Apple's A18 family of processors would feature an increased number of integrated AI computing cores. Of course, the AI computing cores refer to the Neural Engine that iPhones have long included. However, as the latest report does not support the previous one, it is difficult to say whether all AI-based features will be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro series. Yes, it makes sense for the company to keep some features for the high-end variant, but the iPhone 16 lineup, like the standard Galaxy S24, should also get a few features to entice customers to upgrade from their current models.
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