Update September 29 with details on Apple Intelligence’s future.
The iPhone 16 Pro may have been “built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence” but the iPhone 16 family is not the only iPhone option for iOS’ new generative AI features.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will run Apple Intelligence. Rather than pay a premium for the new flagships in the hope that the AI software will deliver on Apple’s promises, the 15 Pro models offer broadly the same experience as the 16 Pro models. As they are one generation behind, consumers could have expected them to see a discount and become the “affordable Pro” model for those wanting AI on their iPhone.
Instead, Apple has cancelled the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
Update: Sunday September 29: One of the thoughts hanging heavy over Apple Intelligence is what its final form might be. Tim Cook and his team have presented one vision, which is built around the iPhone 16 family, first at WWDC in June and in early September at the Glowtime launch event. Right now, the public has yet to see any generative AI on their iPhone. That is set to change in October, but the vision presented by Apple will remain incomplete for many months.
In the meantime, the focus on Apple Intelligence could quickly shift to another part of Apple’s empire where the development effort may offer a higher benefit.
Writing for the Power On newsletter, respected Apple reporter Mark Gurman picks out two areas where the Apple Intelligence can be used to improve a product. The first is an upcoming homeOS for new smarthome products. More visible could be the need to use Apple Intelligence to revitalise Apple’s work around mixed reality through the ears rather than the eyes:
“The AI and AirPods route: Apple is working on a new version of the AirPods Pro that uses external cameras and artificial intelligence to understand the outside world and provide information to the user. This would essentially be the smart glasses path — but without actual glasses.”
Apple is behind the curve in the adoption of generative AI, and while it is unlikely that its efforts on the iPhone will not be seen through, its limited resources may be diverted in the future. And if that’s the case it may be prudent to wait before investing in the iPhone 16 hardware built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence.
Of course apple has made this the only choice in the market with the withdrawl of the iPhone 15 Pro family.
It’s worth noting that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are the only iPhones that run the A17 Pro chipset. The companion iPhone 15 and 15 Plus run the A16 chipset. The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Plus remain in the range; all of these use the A15 chipset.
The last iPhone still available is the third-generation iPhone SE, running the A15 chipset. Yet there are strong indications that Apple will be refreshing the iPhone SE in March 2025, which means stock on the current SE will need to be run down.
Cancelling the A17 iPhones will not wholly rid Apple of the chipset—spare parts will be needed for many years to come, although the support lifespan would have been factored into the production and design roadmap. If we put the support issue aside and focus on the new iPhones Apple sells, it has reduced the complexity of its chipset by twenty-five percent. Depending on the iPhone SE fourth-generation specs, it might have reduced it by nearly forty percent.
I’m confident that managing the supply chain in this way has played a part in the decision, but I’d suggest there is a psychological reason to sit alongside the practical.
The rise of generative AI has seen the various AI-driven features become key smartphone selling points, selling points that Apple has been unable to take full advantage of. Eight months after Google launched the AI-focused Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Apple presented the awkwardly backronymed Apple Intelligence at its Worldwide Developer Conference. Next month, consumers will experience the first small part of that, although the full suite will not be available until March 2025, some seventeen months after Android.
And if you want to take part in the rise of generative AI on a new iPhone and experience the staged rollout of Apple Intelligence, you have no choice but to purchase one of the iPhone 16 family.
Facing flat growth across iPhone sales during the last few years, Apple is taking the opportunity presented by generative AI to force an update cycle on those who want to use the new technology. Naturally, Apple Intelligence will run on all of the iPhone 16 family. While it is being backported to older handsets, only handsets running the A17 chipset will receive the backported generative AI software.
And the two handsets that were equipped with the A17 chipset have just been cancelled.
While that will not impact those who already own either of the handsets, those looking to upgrade and receive Apple Intelligence have just lost arguably the best value-for-money option available to those who need to upgrade but want to wait and see if Apple Intelligence is worth the extra investment of a new iPhone.
They may be able to find an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max in an end-of-line sale with a network or specialist store, but that option will not be available for long. If you want Apple Intelligence, you have no choice but to go for the newest and most expensive iPhones on the market.
Now read the latest iPhone, iOS and Apple Music headliens in Forbes’ weekly Apple news digest…
