Here's every iPhone model that will support Apple's upcoming AI features (for now)
Which iPhone models are required to utilize the new AI features announced by Apple?
To utilize the new AI features announced by Apple, you will need an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model iPhone. This requirement is likely due to the processing hardware necessary to carry out the AI features, especially for tasks that require on-device processing. The AI features will rely on both on-device and cloud-based processing, depending on the complexity of the task. Specifically, these tasks require the A17 Pro chipset, which is currently found only in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
What are the specific hardware requirements for iPhones to support the upcoming AI features?
The specific hardware requirement for iPhones to support the upcoming AI features is the A17 Pro chipset. This chipset is currently found only in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, which run on the A16 Bionic, are not compatible with these AI features4. This is because the new AI services will rely on both on-device and cloud-based processing, depending on the complexity of the task, and the A17 Pro chipset is necessary to carry out these AI tasks on-device.
How does the A17 Pro chipset differ from the A16 Bionic in terms of capabilities?
The A17 Pro chipset and the A16 Bionic are both powerful processors designed by Apple for their iPhones. However, there are some key differences between the two in terms of capabilities.
A17 Pro Chipset Capabilities:
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New 3nm Architecture: The A17 Pro is built on a new 3nm architecture, which allows for more transistors to be packed onto the chip, resulting in improved performance and efficiency3. This is a significant upgrade from the A16 Bionic, which is built on a 4nm architecture.
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Increased Transistor Count: The A17 Pro has a transistor count of 19 billion, compared to the A16 Bionic's 16 billion. This increase in transistor count contributes to the A17 Pro's improved performance.
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Improved CPU Performance: The A17 Pro offers a 10% faster CPU performance compared to the A16 Bionic, thanks to its higher clock speed of 3.78GHz.
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Enhanced GPU: The A17 Pro features a new 6-core GPU, which delivers 20% faster graphics performance than the A16 Bionic5. It also supports hardware-based ray tracing, which delivers 4x more FPS than the A16 Bionic.
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More RAM: The A17 Pro comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which is 2GB more than the A16 Bionic. This allows for smoother multitasking and app switching.
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USB 3 Support: The A17 Pro supports USB 3, which enables data transfer speeds as high as 10 gigabits per second.
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New Media Engines: The A17 Pro features a faster 16-core Neural engine and three dedicated media engines, which were not found on the A16 Bionic.
In summary, while both the A17 Pro and the A16 Bionic are powerful processors, the A17 Pro offers several significant upgrades in terms of architecture, CPU performance, GPU capabilities, RAM, and additional features3.