Published on April 25th, 2024 📆 | 7828 Views ⚑
0Pundit Predicts Apple’s AI Will Be Bound to iPhone, Analysts React
While the major generative AI service providers depend on the cloud to power their large language models, Apple will be taking a different tack with the next version of its mobile operating system, which is set to be revealed in June.
Bloombergâs Mark Gurman, in his weekly newsletter published Sunday, predicted that the AI features planned for iOS 18 will be performed on the iPhone and not in the cloud.
âAs the world awaits Appleâs big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on-device,â Gurman wrote in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter. âThat means thereâs no cloud processing component to the companyâs large language model, the software that powers the new capabilities.â
In February, Gurman reported that iOS 18 would be chock full of AI features. Apple is training both Siri and the iPhoneâs Spotlight search tool on large language models to answer more complex questions accurately, he wrote.
Other AI-powered features cited by Gurman included automatically generating playlists in Apple Music and presentation slides in Keynote, as well as more deeply integrating AI into Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, and Shortcuts.
Enhanced Privacy Approach
Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in San Jose, Calif., cited some benefits associated with running generative AI solely on a device. âIt provides consumers with enhanced privacy,â he told TechNewsWorld. âSensitive data can be processed locally without needing to be transmitted over the internet.â
âThe approach also offers faster response times,â he continued. âData doesnât have to travel to remote servers for analysis.â
While on-device AI may wring some latency from the processing, Ross Rubin, the principal analyst at Reticle Research, a consumer technology advisory firm in New York City, pointed out a drawback to the approach.
âDepending on the kind of query, the performance might be better,â he told TechNewsWorld, âbut the advantage to cloud-based AI is that it can accommodate larger models, so itâs more capable than a lot of whatâs possible on-device today.â
Vena also noted that on-device AI enables offline functionality, ensuring uninterrupted service even in areas with poor or no connectivity. âWith reduced dependence on internet access, consumers experience greater reliability in AI-powered features,â he said.
He added that local processing contributes to improved device battery life and allows for customization and personalization tailored to individual preferences without relying on centralized data storage.
AI Could âCrater Older iPhonesâ
Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore, asserted that battery life could become a problem for Apple.
âAI is very power-hungry and needs to run all the time,â he told TechNewsWorld. âOn-device processing requires intimate knowledge of both the AI â so the hardware can be tuned â and hardware technology â NPUs or neural processing units â in order to allow the battery-powered device to have sufficient battery life.â
âThis will crater an older iPhoneâs battery life and likely also result in a poor AI experience, forcing a hardware refresh,â he said.
At this point, itâs not known which older iPhone models will be able to handle the AI features in the upcoming mobile operating system, acknowledged Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, a technology advisory firm in San Jose, Calif. âBut most likely, the iOS 18 AI version will require newer phones with higher AI dedicated processors,â he told TechNewsWorld.
âIt could drive Apple into a new refresh supercycle, as the majority of their users will want it to power AI apps as fast as possible,â he added.
Anshel Sag, a senior analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, a technology analyst and advisory firm based in Austin, Texas, agreed. âThere is a chance it could drive an upgrade cycle, but I always believe that compelling AI use cases tied to AI hardware capabilities drive upgrade cycles,â he told TechNewsWorld.
5G Supercycle Repeat?
Some features could be unlocked for more recent iPhone models with neural engines on their chips, but most likely, the biggest functionality will be attained on a new device, noted Will Kerwin, a technology equity analyst with Morningstar Research Services in Chicago.
âWe think that if Apple gets AI products right for the iPhone, it could spur a supercycle of customer refreshes to get this new functionality,â he told TechNewsWorld. âThis would be similar to what we saw with the first 5G iPhones.â
âHowever,â Kerwin cautioned, âwe have no information on what Appleâs AI plans for the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup are, and itâs too soon to tell if such a supercycle will actually occur.â
Vena added that while older devices might not have the same level of hardware capabilities as newer models, Appleâs optimization efforts could still enable AI functions to some extent.
âHowever, the full range of AI features might not be available or perform as efficiently on older devices due to hardware limitations,â he said. âThis could incentivize some users to upgrade to newer iPhone models to access the latest AI-powered features with optimal performance.â
Rubin noted that historically, Apple usually allows a generation or two of previous devices to upgrade to the latest operating system, so if AI is part of the operating system, previous generations may be able to tap into most, if not all, the new capabilities. âBut it wouldnât be surprising if there were degradation in older phones and implementation of only some features,â he added.
Apple AI Partner Prospects
Bloombergâs Gurman also predicted that Apple would probably offer some cloud-based AI features powered through partnerships with an AI provider. Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Apple is in discussions with Google, OpenAI, and Chinaâs Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships.
Morningstarâs Kerwin maintained that even with a partner, Apple can keep its AI out of the cloud. âWe believe that even in partnering with another AI firm, Apple could host a smaller model version on-device and not erode its focus on privacy and security,â he said.
If Apple does embrace a gen AI partner, the relationship will likely be short-lived. âIt will be a gradual walk toward completely on-device once the models are optimized and quantized to a size that can quickly and efficiently run on-device,â Moorâs Sag predicted. âItâs just a matter of time, more than anything.â
Enderle was skeptical of the partnering reports. âApple doesnât partner well, so there are likely to be a number of execution issues, including erosion of security and privacy, as well as some severe anticipated reliability and performance issues,â he said.
âI expect they will eventually have to buy an AI company to make this work,â he added.
WWDC24
Apple will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) online from June 10 through 14, 2024. Developers and students will have the opportunity to attend in person at a special event at Apple Park on opening day.
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