A18 Chip In Iphone 16 To Get A Powerful Neural Engine For Ai Features Report

The report says that Apple has tasked TSMC to invest in an enhanced version of the 3nm chipset. Upcoming M4 and A18 chipsets will get a significant boost in the computing power. For generative AI features, Apple is planning to increase the number of built-in AI computing cores in its processors. Needless to say, this will require more intensive R&D and thus the investment.
Despite no attention to AI features, Apple has continuously refined the neural engine on its A-series chips. For example, Apple has claimed that the A17 Pro chipset in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max has a twice as powerful neural engine as last year’s A16 Pro in iPhone 14 Pro models. However, it is worth noting that the core count has remained the same since the iPhone 12. This year, we might see a neural engine with more than 16 cores.
At its recently concluded earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that generative AI features are arriving later this year. This is not the first time when we have heard about Apple’s upcoming push towards AI. Noted Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman have already reported that Apple is planning a major overhaul in iOS 18. The next iOS iteration will bring a plethora of AI features to Siri, Messaging, and more. In October, last year, Apple released its debut LLM model dubbed Ferret in collaboration with Columbia University.
The open-source LLM model is touted to be more efficient than GPT-4 in understanding and describing small image regions. We can see AI features powered by Ferret in upcoming iPhones and Macs.
While an improved neural engine could bring powerful AI features, it would also mean that some features might just be limited to the iPhone 16 series and upcoming Macs. Would you shell extra dimes for AI features?