Web Desk: Apple’s newly unveiled Siri AI upgrade will come with strict hardware boundaries, requiring a minimum of 12GB of unified memory to run the tech giant’s most advanced on-device artificial intelligence model.
The company detailed the stringent requirements at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026), revealing that many current and even some upcoming devices will miss out on the premier tier of its new Apple Intelligence ecosystem.
This hardware threshold divides the user base, meaning that while basic AI updates will reach older models, the most sophisticated on-device tasks remain locked behind premium, next-generation hardware.
The advanced on-device model drives Apple’s latest improvements to Siri, including more expressive vocal tones and a massive overhaul to systemwide dictation. According to Apple, this new dictation system can seamlessly convert speech into polished text while automatically managing complex punctuation, capitalization, and formatting.
However, the hardware demands for these capabilities are steep. On smartphones, the advanced model will only run on the upcoming iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple has excluded the standard iPhone 17 from the list because it only carries 8GB of RAM, falling short of the internal processing requirements.
Tablet and computer users face similar restrictions. Tablet owners will need an iPad powered by an M4 chip or later, and the device must feature at least 12GB of unified memory. Meanwhile, computer users will require a Mac equipped with an M3 chip or later, also paired with a minimum of 12GB of unified memory.
Apple also extended support to its spatial computing lineup, confirming that the advanced model and expressive Siri voices will run on the Apple Vision Pro, provided it is equipped with the newer M5 chip.
Consequently, millions of Apple customers will experience a bifurcated ecosystem. Users with unsupported hardware will still receive several standard Apple Intelligence tools, but the underlying power of the company’s smartest on-device assistant will remain exclusive to those who upgrade to the latest premium tiers.
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