The future of Apple's technology will be revealed at WWDC24, and it will reportedly require powerful hardware. Apple will introduce Apple Intelligence, a set of operating system features that implement AI technology. Apple Intelligence is designed to do as much as possible on the device, and only use cloud computing when necessary. And because AI technology is processor-intensive, the latest features will only run on certain devices.
Below are the hardware requirements from Apple Intelligence, as reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, which will be updated once Apple's announcement becomes official.
Apple AI iPhone Requirements
Apple AI iPad Requirements
- iPad Air, iPad Pro (M1, M2)
- iPad Pro (M4)
Apple AI Mac Requirements
- MacBook Air/Pro (M1, M2, M3)
- iMac (M1, M3)
- Mac mini (M1, M2)
- Mac Studio (M1, M2)
- Mac Pro (M2)
What if my hardware doesn't meet the requirements?
These are the minimum requirements to use Apple's AI features, so it's unclear what will happen if the hardware requirements aren't met. It's also possible that some features won't work on certain chips. Gurman reports that users will have to opt-in to Apple Intelligence, and these features won't be turned on by default, so it doesn't seem like they will impact the overall experience. With that in mind, users with lesser hardware may still be able to take advantage of the new features in iOS 18 and macOS 15, but won't get the advanced AI features.
What about the Apple Watch?
Gurman didn't mention the Apple Watch in his report, so it's unclear if the AI features will extend to watchOS 11.
Do users need to use the Apple Intelligence features?
Gurman said users will have to opt-in to Apple Intelligence, so they likely won't have to use these features if they don't want to.
