Which iPhones Support Apple Intelligence in iOS 18?
Apple Intelligence introduces a deep integration of generative artificial intelligence into iOS 18, but high computational demands restrict the technology to select hardware. This article outlines the specific iPhone models that support the complete suite of Apple Intelligence features, details the underlying hardware requirements necessary to run these on-device models, and explains why previous generations are excluded from compatibility.
Fully Supported iPhone Models
To run the full suite of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, your device must be equipped with an A17 Pro chip or any processor from the A18 generation. The compatible models are:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
Standard models from earlier lineups, including the baseline iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, cannot run Apple Intelligence.
Why Older Models Are Not Supported
The primary limitation preventing older iPhones from supporting Apple Intelligence is hardware capability, specifically system memory (RAM) and Neural Engine bandwidth:
- 8GB of RAM Requirement: Apple Intelligence utilizes large on-device language and diffusion models that must reside in working memory. The iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the entire iPhone 16 series feature 8GB of unified RAM. Baseline iPhone 15 models and the entire iPhone 14 lineup are limited to 6GB of RAM, which is insufficient for running these local models smoothly alongside the operating system.
- Neural Engine Performance: The A17 Pro, A18, and A18 Pro processors include advanced 16-core Neural Engines capable of processing up to 35 trillion operations per second (TOPS), providing the local processing power required to execute requests quickly without draining battery life.
Features Included in the Suite
Devices that meet the hardware requirements gain access to the complete set of Apple Intelligence tools, which include:
- System-Wide Writing Tools: Capabilities to rewrite, proofread, and summarize text across Mail, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps.
- Next-Generation Siri: Enhanced language understanding, onscreen awareness, rich system control, and seamless integration with external tools like ChatGPT.
- Image Generation: Creative tools such as Image Playground for generating illustrations, Image Wand for turning sketches into complete pictures, and Genmoji for custom emoji creation.
- Photo Capabilities: Natural language search for photos and videos, alongside the Clean Up tool to remove unwanted objects from photos.
- Notification and Priority Management: Priority Notifications and Reduce Interruptions Focus mode, which summarize incoming alerts and highlight urgent communications.