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Apple's 'Siri AI' debuts with high-performance features, but hardware limits and regulations pose challenges

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Apple unveiled its new AI features, dubbed 'Apple Intelligence,' at its recent Worldwide Developers Conference.
  • The advanced AI capabilities will be limited to newer iPhone models with at least 12GB of RAM, excluding millions of existing devices.
  • Regional regulations, particularly in the EU and China, also pose challenges for Apple's AI rollout due to privacy concerns.

Apple has entered the artificial intelligence race with its "Siri AI," but faces hurdles including limited hardware support and regulations in some countries. The company announced at its recent Worldwide Developers Conference that "Siri AI," which analyzes app and web content to provide necessary information, will be supported on iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and later models.

However, industry observers point out that the number of devices capable of running high-performance on-device AI functions and advanced Siri dictation will be restricted. Stable operation of high-performance AI functions requires at least 12GB of RAM, meaning only the latest high-end models like the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air will be able to fully utilize all of Siri AI's features. RAM is crucial for a smartphone's multitasking capabilities. Apple has historically kept iPhone memory capacity around 6-8GB.

The advanced AI capabilities will be limited to newer iPhone models with at least 12GB of RAM, excluding millions of existing devices.

Industry observers point out that the number of devices capable of running high-performance on-device AI functions and advanced Siri dictation will be restricted.

Consequently, even the iPhone 17 basic model, equipped with 8GB of RAM, will likely struggle to use some of Siri AI's features due to memory limitations. Morgan Stanley predicts that even after the official release of iOS 27 in September, over 850 million iPhones will be unable to run Apple Intelligence, and more than 1.3 billion will not be able to use advanced Siri AI features. Increasing iPhone memory capacity would also raise production costs for Apple.

Regional regulations present another challenge. Siri's new functions require access to personal information such as user schedules, messages, and emails, which could conflict with privacy regulations in some countries. The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) restricts the market dominance of big tech companies, and China requires algorithms to be registered and undergo security reviews before AI services can be launched. Apple has currently suspended the rollout of Siri AI features in the EU and China due to these regulatory issues.

Over 850 million iPhones will be unable to run Apple Intelligence, and more than 1.3 billion will not be able to use advanced Siri AI features.

— Morgan StanleyMorgan Stanley predicts that even after the official release of iOS 27 in September, millions of iPhones will be unable to run Apple Intelligence or advanced Siri AI features.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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