iPhone 16 Rumored to Feature 'Significantly' Upgraded Neural Engine for iOS 18's Generative AI Features

Apple's next-generation A18 and M4 chips for future iPhone and Mac models will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with "significantly" more cores, according to a report today from the Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News.

iOS 18 Mock iPhone 16 Feature Gray
An upgraded Neural Engine would improve performance for AI/machine learning tasks. iOS 18 is rumored to have new generative AI features for Siri, Shortcuts, Messages, Apple Music, and more. On an earnings call this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was working on generative AI and would share details "later this year." iOS 18 should be announced at Apple's annual developers conference WWDC in June.

A18 series chips are expected to debut in iPhone 16 models in September. It was previously rumored that some generative AI features could be exclusive to iPhone 16 models, and the upgraded Neural Engine could be a reason why.

Neural Engine history for iPhones:

  • 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

Apple has still improved the Neural Engine's performance over the years, even when core counts have not changed. For example, Apple says the iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro chip has up to a 2x faster Neural Engine compared to the one in the iPhone 14 Pro.

As for the Mac, most models with Apple silicon chips are equipped with a 16-core Neural Engine. The only exceptions are the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro, which feature a 32-core Neural Engine when configured with an M1 Ultra or M2 Ultra chip.

The first Macs with an M4 chip would likely be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

Generative AI surged in popularity in 2022 after OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chatbot that can respond to questions and other prompts. Google, Microsoft, and other companies have also released similar chatbots and tools, including ones that can automatically generate images, respond to voice queries, and more.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, iOS 18

Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
6 weeks ago
We've packed the new iPhone 16 pro with the most neural cores ever. It's the most neurotic iPhone we've ever created.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aidler Avatar
6 weeks ago
I fully expect Apple to put major AI features into iOS 18 and then make most of it only available on the iPhone 16, or probably only on the iPhone 16 Pro... because of... stuff ?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swiftapplefan Avatar
6 weeks ago
I still don’t believe that they’ll show exclusive features for a device that hasn’t even been announced yet. The iOS 18 Generative Features that’ll get announced at WWDC will be available to all devices that can run iOS 18. Any exclusive features will be announced in September, when the devices that can run those features will be announced. Unless, you know, Apple decides to randomly announce the iPhone 16 lineup at WWDC for some reason.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCCL Avatar
6 weeks ago
Sounds like they found a excuse to withhold features from perfectly capable iPhone 14's and 15's (Pro/Max)
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toobravetosave Avatar
6 weeks ago
just need an apple foldable and we can watch all the fanboys love everything they hated 5 years ago
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Antoniosmalakia Avatar
6 weeks ago
I’ll be mightily pissed off if the rumoured improvements to Siri are limited to new devices.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
maxresdefault

iOS 18 Rumored to Feature 'More Customizable' Home Screen

Sunday March 24, 2024 7:10 am PDT by
iOS 18 will feature a revamped Home Screen that is "more customizable," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He revealed this information in his Power On newsletter today, but he did not provide any specific details. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will announce iOS 18 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June. Other features and changes rumored for...
combine images

Top Stories: iOS 18's Generative AI Features to Rely on Google?, Latest on New iPads, and More

Saturday March 23, 2024 6:00 am PDT by
We're getting closer to the launch of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, while rumors about iOS 18 are continuing to ramp up with this week's surprise revelation that Apple has been talking to Google and others about potentially helping power the generative AI features expected to be a major part of this year's update. Other news this week saw the release of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue Face ID Single Camera Hole

Seven Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Tuesday March 19, 2024 5:20 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models concurrently, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Four Upcoming AirPods Models

Friday March 22, 2024 9:03 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's rumored plan to refresh the entire AirPods lineup with a series of new models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The fourth-generation AirPods will reportedly feature a new design with a better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. For the first time ever,...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
iPhone 15 General Feature Green

Apple Says These New iOS Features Are Coming Later This Year

Sunday March 24, 2024 7:45 am PDT by
Apple has previously announced three new iOS features that it said are coming to the iPhone later this year, as outlined below. The new features include the ability to install iPhone apps on the web in the EU, RCS support in the Messages app, and next-generation CarPlay. Web Distribution Apple recently announced that eligible developers will soon be able to distribute their iOS apps to ...