According to a new analyst note by Jeff Pu of Haitong International Institute of Technology. 9to5 mac, Apple is planning changes to its A18 Pro chip focused on on-device artificial intelligence. Pu also wrote that Apple is ramping up production of the A18 Pro chip faster than usual.
The news comes as we continue to learn more about Apple's plans for AI capabilities this year, including how it will balance on-device and cloud-based solutions.
iPhone 16 Pro's new AI-focused chip
Pu, often a reliable source of Apple chip rumors, said in a note to investors:
Our supply chain research shows that while demand for Apple's A18 has increased, A17 Pro production has remained stable since February. We note that his A18 Pro, Apple's 6 GPU version, has a larger die area (compared to the A17 Pro). , this could become a trend in edge AI computing.
Increasing the die area of a chip means it can accommodate more transistors and specialized components, which generally allows for growth. However, as die size increases, so does the risk of defects and design flaws. It can also affect energy efficiency and heat dissipation. This is the balance Apple will have to strike as it ramps up production of the A18 Pro ahead of the launch of the iPhone 16 later this year.
Edge AI computing, on the other hand, refers to artificial intelligence that is processed directly on the device rather than in the cloud. Apple is expected to take a piecemeal approach to its AI capabilities this year, with some features relying on cloud infrastructure (possibly in partnership with Google) and others completely executed on the device.
A great explanation of Edge AI from IBM is:
Simply put, edge AI or “AI on the edge” refers to the combination of edge computing and artificial intelligence to perform machine learning tasks directly on interconnected edge devices. Edge computing allows data to be stored closer to the device's location, and AI algorithms enable data to be processed directly at the edge of the network, with or without an internet connection. This facilitates data processing within milliseconds and provides real-time feedback.
This is not the first report to suggest that Apple is planning changes to its A18 chip that specifically focus on artificial intelligence. Last month's report suggested that the A18 will feature a more powerful neural engine and “significantly increase the number of built-in AI computing cores.”
Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are rumored to feature versions of the A18 chip later this year. Currently, the iPhone 15 uses his A16 chip and the iPhone 15 Pro uses his A17 Pro chip. Jeff Pu's report today seems to suggest that only his A18 Pro for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature his AI-focused changes.
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