Apple is pushing to raise the AI and ML performance of its next iPhone 16 by leveraging the A18 chip and a more capable Neural Engine, according to a Taiwan edition report from Economic Daily News.
In early February, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company is developing its own generative AI. More details are expected later, with AI features likely to arrive with iOS 18. The rollout could unfold at the annual WWDC developer conference in June. Insiders point to Siri, Text Commands, Messages, Apple Music and other apps as potential beneficiaries of the new AI capabilities.
The iPhone 16 is anticipated to debut the A18 chip, with enhanced Neural Engine performance enabling some AI features to be exclusive to this new lineup. The Neural Engine handles AI and ML tasks through a dedicated neural processing unit.
Historically, Neural Engine appeared with the iPhone 8 and X as a 2-core NPU. Later models like the iPhone Xs and iPhone 11 used a 4-core setup, and from the iPhone 12 onward, Apple shipped a 16-core Neural Engine. It is not yet disclosed how the cores will scale in the iPhone 16 or whether base and Pro models will differ. Apple continues to refine neural computing capabilities over time, with notable gains even when core counts stay the same. Apple has claimed that neural computing on the iPhone 15 Pro is twice as fast as on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Alongside the iPhone line, the upcoming Mac with the M4 chip and flagship iPad models are expected to receive an updated Neural Engine. The first Macs with the M4 are anticipated to launch in late 2024 or early 2025.
Earlier, Google introduced a new neural network designed for iPhone integration [Source: Economic Daily News, Taiwan edition].