June 10, 2026, 5:59 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Apple is expanding its AI platform, Apple Intelligence, with numerous new features. However, many of the announced updates will apparently not be available on all supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs. According to Apple, those who want to use certain AI features will need particularly powerful hardware.
New Models Require Current Hardware
During the WWDC 2026 developer conference, Apple presented new features for Apple Intelligence and the revamped voice assistant Siri. In the future, Siri is expected to respond more naturally to requests and better understand context. Visual Intelligence, the AI around camera functions, will also receive additional capabilities.
However, it became clear that not every update will run on every compatible device. According to Apple, the most powerful AI models are intended exclusively for selected devices. This means the company apparently requires newer and more powerful hardware for some functions.
Hardly Any iPhones Are Ready for iOS 18
Apple Plans More Than 20 New Products for 2025
These Devices Will Receive the New AI Models
According to Apple, the new on-device AI models enable, among other things, more natural voices and an improved dictation function. However, certain hardware requirements apply. The following devices are expected to support the new models:
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPads with M4 chip or newer and at least 12 gigabytes (GB) of RAM
- Macs with M3 chip or newer and at least 12 GB of RAM
Apple has not yet disclosed which features will be exclusively available on these devices.
Apple Maintains Usage Limits
In the technical specifications, Apple continues to list the same devices that were already compatible with the previous generation of Apple Intelligence. At the same time, the company again points to daily usage limits for individual AI functions.
Also of interest: Apple launches Siri AI–but millions of users miss out
Among other things, functions for image generation are affected. These rely on particularly powerful server models. Additionally, users with the most extensive iCloud+ subscriptions are expected to receive higher usage quotas.
Apple has not yet announced which iCloud+ plans will benefit from these expanded quotas.