iPhone 16 Pro Max So why is my iPhone 14 Pro Max not able to run AI?

[cptcaveman]

So I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max with a 16-core neural engine, bought new from Apple in 2023, four months after release.

Can anyone explain to me with a straight face why it apparently doesn't support Apple Intelligence?

 

[ShadowJamie]

So I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max with a 16-core neural engine, bought new from Apple in 2023, four months after release.

Can anyone explain to me with a straight face why it apparently doesn't support Apple Intelligence?

It seems the amount of RAM is the issue. The iPhone 14 Pro has 6GB of RAM, while AI-supported iPhones, starting from the iPhone 15 Pro, have 8GB. I don’t think Apple is limiting AI features just to push people into buying the newer models.

 

[cptcaveman]

It seems the amount of RAM is the issue. The iPhone 14 Pro has 6GB of RAM, while AI-supported iPhones, starting from the iPhone 15 Pro, have 8GB. I don’t think Apple is limiting AI features just to push people into buying the newer models.

Thanks for the reply. The following questions are not just for you but anyone who cares to comment:

Ok, assuming that is true, that it's a memory limitation that prevents the AI from running locally, then why do other AI models run fine locally on the same device? The A16 with 6GB of RAM is hardly a compute slouch.

And why did Apple bother shipping a 16-core neural processor in the 14 Pro Max, a hardware AI capability that was advertised heavily by them and part of the reason why I bought it?

Also, if there really isn't enough memory on the local device, then why wouldn't Apple just use their private cloud computing for AI to do it, the same one that Craig Federighi was talking about in the Glowtime event?

 

[Bigwaff]

My guess is eventually iPhone 14 Pro will support some Apple Intelligence features. At launch, perhaps Apple is prioritizing the best experience possible, which means top RAM models. Could also be related to the kind math and vector computation features built into the silicon itself.

 

[bigjnyc]

Thanks for the reply. The following questions are not just for you but anyone who cares to comment:

Ok, assuming that is true, that it's a memory limitation that prevents the AI from running locally, then why do other AI models run fine locally on the same device? The A16 with 6GB of RAM is hardly a compute slouch.

And why did Apple bother shipping a 16-core neural processor in the 14 Pro Max, a hardware AI capability that was advertised heavily by them and part of the reason why I bought it?

Also, if there really isn't enough memory on the local device, then why wouldn't Apple just use their private cloud computing for AI to do it, the same one that Craig Federighi was talking about in the Glowtime event?

I think we all know the real reason. Apple could have easily made AI work on your phone as it's a very capable chip... Even if they limit the features a bit due to "memory limitation"....... But lets be honest... Apple is in the business of selling as much hardware as possible, so they have to hold things back from older devices in order to entice people to upgrade.

That being said though, I think Apple is very generous with keeping up new software updates on older devices.. So I'm not knocking them or complaining here. But at some point they have to draw the line and big headliner features like this have to be used to get people to upgrade.. They are in the business of making money after all.

 

[kagharaht]

I may be in the minority. I'm glad my iP14PM is not capable of Ai. Wife is the same so we're super happy with our 14PM.

 

[ericg301]

I may be in the minority. I'm glad my iP14PM is not capable of Ai. Wife is the same so we're super happy with our 14PM.

weird take. you don't have to use it, even if it were available.

 

[adambadamh]

Could it run it? Sure. Would it be slower and less efficient? Absolutely. Apple basically decided it would degrade the experience too much between the lag and the battery drain. Yeah, they also want to sell new phones but I think there is a limit to what they are able to achieve on the devices (see how they are brining AI to Macs as old as M1 devices as a counterpoint to the pure upgrade play on the phone side).

 

[webkit]

Apple Intelligence isn't available on 14 Pro Max for similar types of reasons (some technical/performance, some marketing) Siri wasn't "officially" available on iPhones older than the 4S when it launched.

 

[now i see it]

The conspiracy theory goes — the 14 series iPhones don’t support ai because  doesn’t want them to.
It’s as simple as that.
(hint: they want everyone to buy new phone$).