Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News says Apple’s next-generation A18 and M4 chips for upcoming iPhone and Mac models will boast an upgraded Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores for improved performance for AI/machine learning tasks.
iOS 18 is expected to feature new generative AI features for Messages, Apple Music, Siri, Shortcuts, and more. Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this month said the company was working on generative AI and would share details “later this year.”
Apple may share those details in June, as iOS 18 is expected to be announced at Apple’s annual WWDC conference in June.
A18 series chips are expected to debut in iPhone 16 models in September. We’ve seen rumors indicating that some generative AI features will be limited to the iPhone 16 models. The upgraded Neural Engine could be the reason behind those rumors.
The history of the Neural Engine in iPhones is as follows:
- 2-core Neural Engine in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X
- 8-core Neural Engine in the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- 8-core Neural Engine in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
- 16-core Neural Engine in all iPhone 12 models
- 16-core Neural Engine in all iPhone 13 models
- 16-core Neural Engine in all iPhone 14 models
- 16-core Neural Engine in all iPhone 15 models
Even in the years when Apple did not increase the number of cores in the Neural Engine, it has still improved the performance of the engine.
Most currently available Mac models equipped with Apple Silicon chips boast a 16-core Neural Engine. The Mac Studio and Mac Pro are the only exceptions, as their M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra chips sport 32-core Neural Engines.
We will likely see the first Macs powered by an M4 chip in late 2024 or early 2025.
