Apple fans are looking forward to the WWDC 2024 event, where the company is expected to reveal major details about the upcoming iOS 18 update. While Apple hasn’t officially confirmed anything, leaks and rumors hint that the upcoming update will focus on introducing AI features, such as custom AI-generated emojis. However, new reports suggest that while iOS 18 itself will be compatible with a wide range of iPhones, some of the new AI features won’t run on older models.
iOS 18 is expected to introduce major changes to Siri. Apple wants to give it more control over your device so it can help you do tasks quickly. In the beginning, it will do tasks like deleting emails, opening specific documents, writing notes, and more. Later on, it will upgrade to something that can even book Uber rides or crop pictures for you. With no new hardware expected, a big focus on AI is likely.
Which iPhones will get the AI features?
However, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, most of the existing iPhones won’t support new AI features, as they will be limited to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later models. If this turns out to be true, then you won’t be able to enjoy the new AI features even if you own the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. You will, however, still receive the iOS 18 upgrade.
Now, it is important to remember that upgrading Siri with new AI features would have required the engineers to work with large language models (LLMs). As LLMs require large amounts of RAM to operate smoothly, the 6GB RAM in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus may not be enough. This could be the reason why only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are getting AI features, as both boast 8GB of RAM paired with the powerful A17 Pro chip.
Samsung has the lead
On the other hand, Samsung debuted its Galaxy S24 lineup with Galaxy AI features back in January this year. However, instead of just keeping them limited to the newest devices, the company added the Galaxy AI features to some older devices in March, which included the entire Galaxy S23 lineup, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5. After a few weeks, the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup also received the AI features.
At the moment, Apple hasn’t officially revealed a list of devices that will support the AI features. So, all we can do for now is wait for the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference to see if the leaks are true or not. In any case, it will be exciting to see if Apple is going to keep the AI features limited to the newest devices or follow the footsteps of Samsung and make them available on at least the previous lineup.
