Expected in June during WWDC 2024, iOS 18 should be one of the most important updates for the iPhone thanks to the introduction of multiple features taking advantage of artificial intelligence. The latter would also be even more efficient and advanced on the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max thanks to a new chip: the A18 Pro.
Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong International Tech Research revealed new information on this subject in a recent note, relayed by 9to5Mac on March 24, 2024.
We note that Apple’s A18 Pro, the 6-GPU version, will have a larger die (compared to the A17 Pro), which could be a trend for AI edge computing.
By increasing the size of the die, that is to say the chip, Apple would offer an A18 Pro chip capable of supporting a greater number of transistors, and therefore of providing increased power to certain components. According to recent information fromEconomic Daily Newsthe Apple firm would consider increasing the capacity of the neural engine (Neural Engine) of its chips by means of several additional cores.
Jeff Pu also evokes the notion of edge AI, which refers to the fact that artificial intelligence will be processed locally, without the need to go through the cloud. The opportunity for Apple’s less resource-intensive AI functions to gain in efficiency, but also in confidentiality.
It is believed that Apple will take a shared approach to its AI functions this year, relying on cloud infrastructure (potentially in partnership with Google) for some functions, while others will be run entirely on the device.