Other It's official: iOS 18's AI requires iPhone 15 Pro

[ThatsMeRight]

This surely complicates things.

If you're considering upgrading to a newer iPhone in the next few months, make sure it's the 15 Pro (Max) and not the regular 15. Otherwise you'll miss out on a lot of new AI features in iOS 18...

 

[Pandyone]

I don’t think it will complicate things that much. Some features are always dropped with new iOS-versions, and iPhone 15 has an older cpu and less ram (probably doesn’t make any difference for the actual functions, but Apple wants you to think that).

In a few months there will also be a new lineup of iPhones Apple will promote.

 

[JPack]

It's been expected for a long time. Nobody with old iPhones receive the annual computational photography feature updates. AI is the latest selling feature, just like the camera.

 

[Pakaku]

you'll miss out on a lot of new AI features in iOS 18...

This is exactly what I want. AI is atrocious and we don't need to keep putting up with companies shoving it in our faces everywhere.

 

[timeconsumer]

This surely complicates things.

If you're considering upgrading to a newer iPhone in the next few months, make sure it's the 15 Pro (Max) and not the regular 15. Otherwise you'll miss out on a lot of new AI features in iOS 18...

It’s usually recommended to buy a device for what it’s capable of doing at the time of purchase and not for what may come through software updates as that can change at any time.

If AI is something that somebody must have then it’s better to wait for the 16. But from what we know today, if they need an iPhone now, and want to have AI then it does seem like the 15 Pro is the way to go.

 

[now i see it]

Not complicated.
 always over hypes new features. Time will tell if it’s another flop like Siri 1.0

 

[Lord of the Pies]

I don't see the problem. These features didn't exist when you bought your phone; they weren't a motivation for the purchase. Just like you can't get Dynamic Island features without a Dynamic Island, you can't get AI features without sufficient AI horsepower in your phone's chip.

My 14 Pro Max will have put in a solid 2 years of service by the time the 16 Pro Max arrives, and I'm happy to upgrade to enjoy the AI stuff.

 

[dumastudetto]

iPhone 14 Pros only have 6GB RAM, so that's almost certainly the unforeseeable limitation that makes on-device AI impossible. On-device AI uses a heap of RAM.

Apple probably regrets not putting the extra 2GB In them now.

 

[AlexJ092]

iPhone 14 Pros only have 6GB RAM, so that's almost certainly the unforeseeable limitation that makes on-device AI impossible. On-device AI uses a heap of RAM.

Apple probably regrets not putting the extra 2GB In them now.

They definitely do not regret it 😂, this is how they get people to upgrade. The people I feel sorry for are the ones that purchased the 15 and 15 plus this year 😔

 

[Torty]

They definitely do not regret it 😂, this is how they get people to upgrade. The people I feel sorry for are the ones that purchased the 15 and 15 plus this year 😔

The writing was already on the wall when there were games released which are iphone 15 pro only. Worse was the iphone 14 pro, premium price and in euro countries the most expensive iphone ever.

 

[diamornte]

Meh, I will wait to upgrade my 14 Pro Max until next year. Since I have an M1 iPad Pro 12.9", M2 iPad Pro 11" and an M3 MacBook Air 15," I can still do all the things without the phone. Plus, I'm poor because of the collapse of the Entertainment Industry. Have fun, everyone!

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

Now is not the time to upgrade period. Anything now forward is the “I’ll get the new iPhone in September” season of the year.

Also, the people that it really matters to are probably going to be the pro or pro max anyway and honestly.

 

[xxFoxtail]

The AI stuff was interesting, I don’t really need it though. I’ll stick with my 14 Pro. I planned on keeping the 14 Pro for at least 3 years, if not longer.

I always have my Mac if I want to play around with that AI.

 

[Zaydax333]

iPhone 14 Pros only have 6GB RAM, so that's almost certainly the unforeseeable limitation that makes on-device AI impossible. On-device AI uses a heap of RAM.

Apple probably regrets not putting the extra 2GB In them now.

This is 100% the issue now that I look at it.

The M1 has a neural engine the same as the A14 that can only do 11 TOPS.

The difference between them is that the A14 never shipped with 8GB of RAM, only 6. Even the A16 which has a more powerful neural engine can't do it, because it's also stuck at 6GB of RAM.

 

[klasma]

Now is not the time to upgrade period. Anything now forward is the “I’ll get the new iPhone in September” season of the year.

This is the "upgrade now so you don't have to deal with the x.0 bugs in the fall" time of year.

 

[JPack]

This is 100% the issue now that I look at it.

The M1 has a neural engine the same as the A14 that can only do 11 TOPS.

The difference between them is that the A14 never shipped with 8GB of RAM, only 6. Even the A16 which has a more powerful neural engine can't do it, because it's also stuck at 6GB of RAM.

The question is, why would Apple's model that only uses 11 TOPS require 8GB RAM?

If Google's Gemini Nano requires 8GB RAM, then why would Apple's far less capable model require the same 8GB?

 

[Crow_Servo]

It's been expected for a long time. Nobody with old iPhones receive the annual computational photography feature updates. AI is the latest selling feature, just like the camera.

The difference here is that one of the phones prior to this year’s new iPhones will also support these new features. In the past, the hot new feature wouldn’t be announced until that year’s iPhones are revealed.

The latest camera features in years past would be a good example of something that would only be included on that year’s iPhone, not also on the previous year’s Pro iPhone. Also, those new camera features would not be revealed at WWDC.

 

[TVreporter]

I knew I should have went with the Pro… instead I grabbed the 15 back in January. Maybe a trade in come the fall - let's see how all this AI stuff unfolds first.

 

[boss.king]

I expect this just means they'll ship all requests off to OpenAI rather than doing any of them on-device.

 

[ericg301]

Curious if the regular 16 models will be compatible

 

[Crow_Servo]

Curious if the regular 16 models will be compatible

I’d expect them to be compatible.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I will use my iPhone 13 PM for another 3 years and probably upgrade to iPhone 18 or iPhone 19. My M1 iPad Pro and and M1 Max MBP can run the models i need.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I expect this just means they'll ship all requests off to OpenAI rather than doing any of them on-device.

No. ChatGPT app on iPhone supports all Recent iPhone models. They don’t need to restrict if it all it was doing was send it to ChatGPT. Apple published a paper on pretty much lot of features announced today for on device computing few months back. No surprise it will be hybrid approach, on device and send more generic AI requests to larger models Like chat gpt.

 

[tcatsninfan]

I have a 13 and am totally OK missing all the flashy new AI features. In my case, the AI stuff they showed off wouldn't really have made much of a difference in my life. It can help you find flights you've booked? Those already get added to your calendar, and either way they're already in your email and whatever app you used to book it. Stuff like that.

Nothing they showed related to AI is "crucial" or lifechanging in any way. It just makes people more lazy.

 

[Tripps9000]

I’m okay not having all this ai stuff on my phone I have a iPhone 14 and very happy with it I am going to wait for the 17 series of iPhone because from rumors on here and other places they will have a totally new design for that series and I can wait until next year👍🏻