It increasingly looks like Apple will be investing heavily in AI with the iPhone 16 line. After reports that the iPhone 16 may have extra RAM and storage to help with AI, we’re now hearing that the A18 Pro chipset is expected in at least some iPhones. 16 models will be designed to improve AI on the device.
This is evident from an analyst note from Jeff Pu of Haitong International Tech Research, seen by 9to5Mac. Pu says the A18 Pro “will have a larger die area (compared to the A17 Pro), which could be a trend for edge AI computing.”
Edge AI refers to performing AI tasks on the phone itself, rather than in the cloud, which is beneficial because it can be faster and doesn’t require an internet connection.
However, as 9to5Mac notes, increasing the die area of the chipset to achieve this can have a negative effect on power efficiency and heat dissipation, so it may come with some drawbacks.
Built for AI in more ways than one
This chipset change – if true – may not be the only way the A18 Pro has been designed with AI in mind, as we previously heard that the A18 Pro may also have more cores for its Neural Engine than the A17 Pro.
We expect the A18 Pro to be used in the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, but some reports suggest the A18 Pro could also be used in the standard iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus, so it’s possible that all four upcoming phones will have an AI-focused chipset.
While it sounds like Apple is working hard on AI-focused hardware, it could leave some of the software to Google, as reports suggest Apple could use Google Gemini to power some of the iPhone 16’s AI features.
We should know for sure in September, when the iPhone 16 line will likely launch.
