iOS 18 Update May Exclude Full Feature Set for iPhone 15 and Older Models

As the tech community anticipates the transition from iOS 17 to iOS 18, users of iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and the iPhone 14 series might face a rather unexpected situation. An insider from Apple has suggested that these devices, although set for the upcoming software update, could miss out on the complete feature lineup offered by the new operating system.

Insight from an Apple Expert

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, who has dedicated the last few weeks to divulging Apple’s strategies for iOS 18 and its integration with artificial intelligence (AI), not all updates will be available to every device. The new version of iOS, set for release at the WWDC 2024 event on June 10th, aims to enhance AI features such as improvements to Siri, the virtual assistant that has become synonymous with the iPhone experience.

Hardware Dependencies

The upcoming iOS 18 is expected to leverage a blend of on-device and cloud computing to handle AI tasks. Nevertheless, Gurman points out that, "The most advanced on-device AI features will require an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model to function." This means that the most sophisticated AI capabilities will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the yet-to-be-released iPhone 16 lineup.

Owners of the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will certainly receive AI improvements with the iOS 18 update but will not have access to all the new enhancements.

Chip Differences

The differentiation in capabilities stems from the hardware variances, where the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are outfitted with the more advanced A17 Pro chip, while the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models contain the older A16 chip.

The extent of this limitation remains vague, as specific AI features that will be excluded have not been detailed. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users also seem set to miss out on Apple's significant AI advancements.

This indicates that even older models such as the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max will only receive a scaled-back version of iOS 18.

Looking Forward

Thankfully, clarity on these limitations should emerge in the coming weeks, as Apple is scheduled to roll out iOS 18 for beta testing soon after their WWDC 2024 keynote presentation. The complete version of iOS 18 is expected to be available in the fall, coinciding with the launch of the new iPhone 16 series, which may include brand new AI features not found on the prior iPhone generations, such as the iPhone 15 Pro.

iOS, iPhone, update