Siri AI: Only the Latest iPhones Will Fully Benefit

At the WWDC conference, Apple showcased Siri AI, an enhanced version of its voice assistant that promises to transform user interaction. However, only the latest devices will be able to fully leverage these new features. With iOS 27, Siri AI aims to be more conversational, capable of understanding the context of applications and executing complex tasks.

Apple dedicated a significant portion of its keynote to presenting Siri AI, which promises to behave more like other AI-powered chatbots. If Siri AI lives up to its promises, it will be great news for Apple users. However, depending on your iPhone model, you may not be able to enjoy all the features.

Only certain iPhones (as well as iPads and Macs) will support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence in general. How will this unfold? I will answer that question shortly. But first, let’s look at some details.

New Features and Capabilities of Siri AI

Siri AI introduces advanced capabilities, such as the ability to customize Siri's voice and improve the accuracy of voice dictation. The assistant will now automatically add punctuation and formatting while you speak. To deliver these enhancements, Siri AI uses AI models both on-device and in the cloud. The main models are AFM 3 Core and AFM 3 Core Advanced, with the latter reserved for the most powerful devices.

The new version of Siri promises to be more conversational, more responsive, and more useful. You will be able to ask open-ended questions to Siri and engage in continuous voice discussions. Siri AI will understand what is displayed on the screen and on your device, executing tasks across your applications and files. A dedicated Siri app will function similarly to dedicated apps from other AIs.

To assist you, Siri will use both on-device and cloud-based AI models, depending on the type of request. On your device, the AI will rely on two different models. The base model is called AFM 3 Core (AFM stands for Apple Foundation Models). The more advanced model is naturally called AFM 3 Core Advanced. Only devices that support AFM 3 Core Advanced will be able to use Siri's voice customizations and more accurate dictation, and this will be limited to the latest models.

Compatibility and Hardware Requirements

To benefit from Siri AI and its advanced features, you need to own an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max, an iPad equipped with an M4 processor or higher, or a Mac with an M3 processor or higher, all requiring at least 12 GB of memory. Devices compatible with the base AFM 3 Core model include the iPhone 17, 17e, 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. The iPads Pro M1 and later, iPad Air M1 and later, and iPad mini with A17 Pro are also supported.

For Mac users, compatible models include the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air with M1 and later, MacBook Pro with M1 and later, iMac with M1 and later, Mac mini with M1 and later, Mac Studio with M1 Max and later, and Mac Pro with M2 Ultra and later. The Apple Vision Pro M2 and later, as well as the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and Apple Watch SE 3 are also compatible.

Of course, you will also need versions 27 of iOS, iPadOS, and other systems. iOS 27 is currently available in beta for developers, is expected to be released next month in public beta, and is anticipated for an official launch in September. To run system 27, you will need one of the following:

• iPhone: iPhone 11 or later, latest iPhone SE, iPhone Air
• iPad: iPad Pro M4 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 4th generation and later, iPad Air 13-inch M2 and later, iPad mini 6th generation and later
• Mac: MacBook Air M1 and later, MacBook Pro M1, iMac M1 and later, Mac mini M1 and later, Mac Studio M1 and later, Mac Pro M2/2023 and later
• Apple Watch: Apple Watch SE 3rd generation, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Ultra 3

Yes, even if your device supports iOS 27, you may not be able to use Siri AI to its full extent, or at all. If you want to fully enjoy the new version of Siri and your device is not supported, this could be the ideal year to upgrade to a newer model.

Currently, Siri AI is available through the developer preview of iOS 27 via a waiting list. But right now, it seems that the queue is saturated. I signed up for the waiting list a day ago, and I am still waiting for access. To try this on a supported iPhone or iPad, go to Settings, select Siri, and then tap the link to join the waiting list. After that, all you can do is wait.