Most AI features in iOS 18 would be limited to the most powerful iPhone, iPad, and Mac models

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Apple is about to unveil its new operating systems at WWDC 2024, systems in which AI is expected to be the main protagonist, with functions in almost all native apps and the renewal of Siri, of which we already know some capabilities, such as the ability to summarize notifications.

It’s not all good news, though, because, as analyst Mark Gurman has indicated, most of the AI features processed in the devices would be limited to the newest models, both on iPhones, iPads and Macs.

Apple wants AI features to be a compelling reason for users to renew their devices

According to the analyst, Apple’s goal with the new AI features we’ll see in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 is to incentivize users to upgrade to one of the new devices, whether it’s in the iPhone, iPad, or Mac range. Let’s remember that Apple would use a hybrid system for its functions, with most of these being executed on the devices exclusively for them.

Mark Gurman points out that the features running on the devices would be limited starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and the M1-based iPad and Mac. It’s possible that other features will come to devices with a less powerful processor, but, for the most part, that would be the limitation.

There’s no mention of cloud-based features, so it’s possible that these features will be available for most devices that support the new operating systems. Let’s remember that these would also stand out for their privacy, thanks to the fact that the servers would use the M2 Ultra, a processor that stands out for its Secure Enclave.

This approach wouldn’t be new to Apple. Something similar happened in iOS 17: while many iPhones supported that version, not all of them got all the new features, such as the AI-powered predictive keyboard, available only on iPhones with the newest processor.

In short:

1. Apple will use a hybrid system for its AI features: cloud and on-device processing.
2. The functions processed on the devices would be limited to newer processor models.
3. In the case of iPhones, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro. For iPads and Macs, starting with the M1 processor.