iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro Chip Rumored to Boost AI, Retain 6-Core GPU

2024.03.25 3 min read

Apple’s next-generation A18 Pro chip for iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a larger die size for boosted artificial intelligence performance, according to Jeff Pu, an investment analyst who covers companies within Apple’s supply chain.

In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities this week, Pu added that the A18 Pro chip will be equipped with a 6-core GPU, which would be equal to the A17 Pro chip in iPhone 15 Pro models.

Generative AI

iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more. Apple has reportedly considered partnering with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Baidu for at least some of these features.

iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to feature an upgraded Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores, which could result in some of iOS 18’s generative AI features being exclusive to those models. Pu previously said the larger die size would be related to the Neural Engine, which could power on-device generative AI features.

Apple has used a 16-core Neural Engine since the iPhone 12 series. However, it has still improved the Neural Engine’s performance over the years, even when core counts have not changed. For example, Apple says the A17 Pro chip has up to a 2x faster Neural Engine compared to the one in the iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 Bionic chip.

Apple has promised to make generative AI announcements later this year. iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple’s developers conference WWDC in June, so we’re just a few months away from learning about the company’s plans.

6-Core GPU

With the A17 Pro chip, iPhone 15 Pro models have significantly improved graphics capabilities compared to previous models. Apple said the new 6-core GPU is up to 20% faster and also more power efficient than the 5-core GPU in the A16 Bionic chip. iPhone 15 Pro models also support hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading for improved graphics rendering, which results in more realistic graphics in games.

Pu believes Apple will stick with a 6-core GPU for the A18 Pro chip, so graphics improvements may be more limited for iPhone 16 Pro models this year.