Apple’s Most Powerful On-Device AI Model Requires iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air or Newer Macs, iPads
Apple announced that its most powerful on-device model will require newer hardware with higher memory capacity
Apple has confirmed that not all devices, currently supporting Apple Intelligence, will be able to run its most advanced AI model.
The company introduced a host of new AI features, including Siri AI, which will arrive with iOS 27 and other software updates, at the World Wide Conference (WWDC) 2026 on Monday. Alongside these announcements, Apple also revealed the hardware requirements for its next-generation on-device AI model.
The tech giant said the advanced AI-model will be available on the iPhones such as the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. When it comes to iPad, users will need an M4-powered device or newer with at least 12GB of memory. Mac users will require a Mac with M3 chip or later, along with a minimum of 12GB of RAM.
The requirements are higher than those for the current version of Apple Intelligence, which runs on devices equipped with 8GB of memory. According to Apple, the extra memory is needed to handle the increased demands of the more powerful AI model directly on the device.
One notable omission is the standard iPhone 17. Although the handset supports Apple Intelligence, it does not have enough memory to run Apple’s upcoming most powerful on-device AI model.
Users with older or unsupported iPhones, iPads, and Macs will still get access to many of the same AI features. However, those tasks will be processed through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute instead of running entirely on the device. As a result, the response would be slower compared to the on-device versions.
