{"id":472932,"date":"2026-06-12T01:12:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T01:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/472932\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T01:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T01:12:17","slug":"some-ai-features-arent-available-on-older-iphones-but-are-you-actually-missing-that-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/472932\/","title":{"rendered":"Some AI features aren’t available on older iPhones, but are you actually missing that much?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you were paying attention to the WWDC 2026<\/a> keynote earlier this week, you’ll know that all of the amazing new Apple Intelligence features are not coming to every iPhone. Apple confirmed that some of those features will be exclusive to just three iPhone models<\/a>: iPhone 17 Pro<\/a>, iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/a> and iPhone 17 Air<\/a>.<\/p>\n

iPads and Macs also have similar restrictions. The full suite of Apple Intelligence features will only be available on select iPads and Macs with the correct Apple Silicon chip and at least 12GB of RAM. Macs need an M3 chip or newer, while iPads need an M4 or M5.<\/p>\n

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This is not ideal news for the people who don’t have those devices, and that’s going to be especially frustrating for anyone with a standard iPhone 17<\/a>. But the real question here is whether this is actually anything to be worried about?<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromWhat these devices can actually do<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide \/ John Velasco)<\/p>\n

According to Apple, all the compatible devices have exclusive access to the “most powerful on-device model,” also known as Apple Foundation Models (AFM) Core Advanced. While Apple made it sound like some key features would be locked away with this model, and only available on a small handful of new devices, that’s actually not the case.<\/p>\n

According to Apple’s Siri AI<\/a> press release<\/a>, there are only two features exclusive to the AFM Core Advanced model: Voice customization and advanced systemwide dictation. The former lets you customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri AI’s voice, beyond the capabilities of the pre-set Siri voices that are available to everyone.<\/p>\n

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Advanced system-wide dictation is exactly what it sounds like, and means compatible devices will be a lot better at converting speech into text. According to Apple, you can “speak naturally and trust that [your] words will appear clearly, accurately, and as intended.”<\/p>\n

Honestly? These are the kinds of features you can probably live without. Customizing Siri’s voice sounds cool, but it’s not as though there aren’t alternate options available on older Apple devices. There are currently 19, if my counting is correct, covering different nationalities, accents and genders.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Unless you are likely to use dictation features regularly, then missing out on this particular upgrade isn’t a huge deal.<\/p>\n

Similarly, improved speech-to-text sounds like a good idea, especially considering how awful Apple’s current capabilities are. But is that something you’re actually going to use very often? I only ever use speech-to-text if I’m carrying my baby son, since I find typing one-handed slow and awkward. Others may feel differently, but unless you are likely to use dictation features regularly, then missing out on this particular upgrade isn’t a huge deal.<\/p>\n

It’s important to note that improvements to dictation don’t actually affect how Siri understands you. The new conversational models should still improve your overall Siri experience regardless of which AI-compatible iPhone you have. That’s the iPhone 15 Pro <\/a>and newer, for those who have forgotten.<\/p>\n

Things may change in the future<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

We don’t fully know what the differences are between AFM Core Advanced and the AFM Core model that’s available on older iPhone models \u2014 beyond the fact the Advanced model needs 12GB of RAM and Core only needs 8GB. Good thing RAM prices are so low<\/a> right now, right? Right??<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

But as minimal as the feature differences appear to be right now, that will likely change in the future. More advanced AI features will require better models and more resources to function properly. In the same way that Apple Intelligence wasn’t available on iPhone 15<\/a> or older, future features will presumably arrive exclusively on iPhone 17 Pro and above.<\/p>\n

We don’t know when that might happen, though. It’s possible that Apple could have some secret iOS 27<\/a> features hiding up its sleeve, ready to be unveiled at a future date \u2014 possibly alongside the iPhone 18 Pro<\/a>. Then again, such features may not arrive until the launch of iOS 28 next year. Hopefully, by that point, there will be a bunch more iPhones that have full access to all the Apple AI on offer.<\/p>\n

Here’s hoping that the rumors of a downgraded<\/a> iPhone 18<\/a> aren’t true. If that phone arrives with less than 12GB of RAM, news of even more AI features that they can’t use is bound to make a bunch of them rather unhappy.<\/p>\n

Some people already are, and have taken to social media to express their grievances. The decision to not support everything on a “less than 2-year-old AI device” has been called “insane”<\/a> by one X user, while there are a bunch of Redditors lamenting the decision, including those people who only recently purchased a standard iPhone 17<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One Reddit user declared that they want their “f****** money back<\/a>,” which seems a big extreme, while another declared the whole thing to be “a scam”<\/a> because the iPhone 16 Pro<\/a> was supposedly made for Apple Intelligence. But for every complaint, there seem to be several other people pointing out that<\/a> the only thing these people are missing out on is Siri’s voice adjustment and the improved dictation.<\/p>\n

Bottom line<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

iOS 27 is now effectively a three-tier software update, thanks to the differing requirements of Apple Intelligence. iPhone 17 Pro and up get access to everything, while anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro or newer gets all the AI they want \u2014 minus those two Siri features. Older models, from iPhone 15 back to iPhone 11<\/a>, get zero access to AI at all. Though this isn’t really any different from the way things were before.<\/p>\n

That means if you care about having every single facet of AI on your iPhone, you’re going to have to be very particular next time you pick up an iPhone. Especially since this situation will likely repeat itself at some point in the foreseeable future. On-device AI needs a lot of memory to operate, and there’s going to be a point where even the iPhone 17 Pro isn’t capable of running everything.<\/p>\n

It’s just a sad fact that those people who try and run their devices into the ground before upgrading may be left out in the cold a little earlier than they otherwise would. But if the exclusive AI features of the future are as inconsequential as these two exclusives, then it might not matter so much.<\/p>\n

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