Apple’s Enhanced Neural Engine: Powering AI Innovation
According to a report, Apple is gearing up to enhance the hardware of its upcoming iPhone 16 series smartphones, aiming to bolster their AI performance. These successors to the 2023 iPhone 15 lineup are expected to feature upgraded processors, aligning with the anticipated release of iOS 18.
Previous indications suggest that Apple has been diligently working on incorporating various new AI functionalities into its forthcoming operating system update. Notably, rival Samsung has recently introduced its Galaxy S24 series smartphones, also boasting advanced AI capabilities.
As per an Economic Daily News report, Apple intends to enhance its rumored A18 chips, anticipated to debut with the iPhone 16 series, by integrating an upgraded Neural Engine. Alongside the A18 mobile processor, Apple’s next-gen M4 chips are also poised to debut with an overhauled Neural Engine, reportedly featuring “significantly” more cores compared to previous iterations.
For context, the latest iPhone 15 models are equipped with a Neural Engine sporting 16 cores, a configuration consistent across the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12 series. In contrast, earlier models such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone XS featured an 8-core Neural Engine, while the iPhone 8 series was equipped with just two Neural Engine cores. This enhancement underscores Apple’s relentless pursuit of pushing the boundaries of AI performance in its flagship smartphone lineup.
The increased number of cores could be the reason why some of some of the rumoured AI features coming with the iOS 18 update will reportedly be limited to the latest iPhone 16 series. However, it’s also worth noting that Apple has managed to improve the performance of its Neural Engine on recent iPhone models without upping the core count.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said last November that the iOS 18 update was expected to help Apple sell its next generation of smartphones. The company has also confirmed that it is working on new features powered by AI. The successors to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are expected to be unveiled in the second half of 2024.