iPhone 16 to Feature Advanced Neural Engine for Enhanced AI

Introduction

The iPhone 16 is expected to feature an advanced new neural engine with significantly more cores for improved AI capabilities, according to a recent report from the Taiwanese media Economic Daily News. Now, let's delve into more details.

Background

In a prior report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, it was indicated that Apple is gearing up to unveil a range of enhanced AI-powered features with the release of iOS 18. Among the eagerly awaited upgrades in the upcoming iOS iteration is a more intelligent Siri, infused with generative AI capabilities. Tim Cook during the latest earning’s call, also revealed that Apple is planning to introduce new generative AI features later this year. These advancements may take the form of cloud-based, on-device, or a hybrid combination of both, enhancing the overall user experience. On-device capabilities would entail the execution of AI tasks directly on the iPhone; however, this may necessitate additional processing power.

According to X.com user Revegnus, Apple is likely to introduce most of its features through cloud-based tasks, similar to what’s happening with most of Siri’s capabilities already. This would extend a plethora of new features to all devices running iOS 18. However, Apple is also poised to unveil additional features exclusively for devices equipped with new AI-optimized hardware, starting with the iPhone 16 lineup and potentially some upcoming new iPad models. This is where the report from the Economic Daily makes sense; Apple’s upcoming A18 and M4 chips are expected to feature 'significantly' more neural engine cores that could potentially give the upcoming new Apple devices on-device generative AI features.

Opinion

Apple is anticipated to introduce a plethora of new generative AI features across its upcoming products, with the iPhone leading the charge as Apple's most profitable and popular product. Historically, Apple has reserved new features exclusively for its latest iPhones, and this year is expected to be no different. Generative AI represents a significant technological advancement, especially following the introduction of ChatGPT and beyond.

While Apple plans to include most AI features in every device supporting iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 18, etc., we should anticipate specific features exclusively available for devices equipped with new hardware and chips. Not only will these devices be the only ones capable of unlocking these features, but Apple also aims to entice consumers with exclusive features to power new hardware, encouraging users to upgrade from their current devices.

In this manner, Apple seeks to both enhance the appeal of its new hardware and increase the number of users upgrading, that will lead to more sales and improved profitability.