This would possibly appear to be time to purchase a brand new iPhone. Apple’s acquired boosted trade-in values for the subsequent couple of weeks, and there are many spring service offers nonetheless occurring. Plus rumors in regards to the iPhone 16 coming this fall make it sound like a comparatively minor improve, whereas the iPhone 17 late in 2025 appears extra like the massive overhaul we’ve been ready for—maybe even a seismic shift, iPhone X-style.
However if you need our recommendation, we expect you must nonetheless wait. WWDC is Monday and it’s virtually sure to supply important data that informs your iPhone shopping for determination.
iOS 18 could change greater than standard
Yearly when Apple takes the wraps off its new iOS at WWDC, we be taught of lots of cool new options coming to our iPhones within the fall. However if you learn the fantastic print, you’ll see among the cool new options don’t work with older iPhones. With iOS 16, for instance, you wanted a telephone with an A12 Bionic processor or newer to make use of options like lifting topics from photographs, choosing textual content in pictures, and many of the locally-processed Siri options.
iOS 16 required an iPhone XS or later to make use of a few of its greatest options.
iOS 16 required an iPhone XS or later to make use of a few of its greatest options.
Foundry
iOS 16 required an iPhone XS or later to make use of a few of its greatest options.
Foundry
Foundry
We anticipate lots of massive modifications in iOS 18, together with interface enhancements and several other spectacular new options, however the massive focus goes to be on AI. Sometimes, any iPhone made in the previous couple of years will get all the brand new iOS options, with solely the oldest telephones lacking out. However the push to extra AI could change all that, as AI options can have some fairly steep {hardware} necessities. It’s probably that Apple limits some options to very new fashions—and potential that the most effective options will solely work on the iPhone 16.
Actually, a report this week claims that the AI options can be restricted to the iPhone 15 Professional fashions and later, which implies you could possibly be shopping for an outdated telephone even in the event you get a brand new iPhone 15. And that’s a terrific motive to attend to purchase an iPhone till we all know which cool new AI options coming to iOS 18 will work on which iPhones. You don’t need to purchase an iPhone 14 or SE solely to be taught that some actually cool characteristic requires an A17 Professional processor.
AI {hardware} necessities are steep
Apple has been transport AI {hardware} in its iPhones for years. The Neural Engine first appeared within the A11 Bionic chip, manner again in 2017 (iPhone 8 and iPhone X), regardless that it might “solely” carry out 600 billion operations per second and didn’t actually do a lot. However it’s gotten much more highly effective and crucial over time.
It took an enormous leap to five trillion operations per second (TOPS) within the A12. The following massive leap was to 11 TOPS within the A14, then over 15 TOPS in A15, and now 35 TOPS within the A17 Professional. However the A17 Professional is barely discovered within the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max. The iPhone 15 has the A16, whose Neural Engine is barely half as quick, in line with Apple.
The A17 Professional is barely within the iPhone 15 Professional fashions, which implies some AI options may not be accessible on telephones lower than a 12 months outdated.
The A17 Professional is barely within the iPhone 15 Professional fashions, which implies some AI options may not be accessible on telephones lower than a 12 months outdated.
Apple
The A17 Professional is barely within the iPhone 15 Professional fashions, which implies some AI options may not be accessible on telephones lower than a 12 months outdated.
Apple
Apple
Then there’s the matter of RAM. Generative AI fashions like massive language fashions (LLMs) and diffusion fashions are notoriously large and use lots of RAM. Most iPhones don’t have lots of RAM to start with, and it is advisable to have sufficient left over for purposes even when an AI mannequin is getting used.
Each iPhone that may help iOS 18 as much as and together with the iPhone 13, has solely 4GB of RAM. The iPhone 13 Professional, iPhone 14 (common and Professional), and iPhone 15 have 6GB of RAM. Solely the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max have 8GB of RAM. So, it’s fairly potential that there can be some iOS 18 options that solely work on iPhones with a sooner Neural Engine or 6GB of RAM, and there could also be some that require the iPhone 15 Professional simply because it’s acquired 8GB of RAM and a a lot sooner Neural Engine.
For those who’re seeking to get a brand new iPhone that may final you just a few years, that’s an enormous consideration. Chances are you’ll not want to spend lots of extra on the newest Professional mannequin, however purchase a inexpensive mannequin right now and there’s likelihood you’ll be shut out of the cool new AI options coming this fall.
So it’s greatest to attend till no less than WWDC on Monday when Apple takes the wraps off iOS 18 and all its new options. Then we will dive into the fantastic print that tells us which iPhones help which options, and you can also make an knowledgeable selection about how a lot it is advisable to spend to get the options you need.