According to previous reports, Apple aims to introduce new generative AI features in iOS 18 for Siri, Shortcuts, Messages, Apple Music, and other functionalities, all of which rely heavily on localized AI processing power.
A recent report indicates that Apple seems poised to make significant innovations to the neural engine cores of the A18 series chips, which will also include the M4 series chips for the iPad and Mac series.
Reportedly, the number of neural engine cores in the new chips will be substantially increased, enhancing the chips' artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. As usual, we should expect Apple to unveil iOS 18 at WWDC 2024 in June.
The A18 series chips are set to debut alongside the iPhone 16 series in September. A18 Bionic will provide performance support for both iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
The A18 Pro will be featured in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Both of these A18 chips will be manufactured by TSMC using their second-generation 3nm process node (N3E).
Reports suggest that Apple is expected to increase the number of cores in the neural engine of the A18 series chipsets. The addition of AI neural engine cores is anticipated to bring a "significant" performance boost to the A18 series chips.
Although Apple has maintained the core count of its Neural Engine at 16 since the introduction of the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 series, the speed and performance of the Neural Engine have continued to improve over time. Apple stated that the Neural Engine on the A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro series is twice as fast as the Neural Engine on the A16 Bionic component used in the iPhone 14 Pro series.
TSMC's chip production volume for Apple's 3nm chips is expected to increase by 50% compared to last year, making Apple the largest customer for the foundry. In addition to boosting wafer output for TSMC to produce chips, Apple can also leverage a significant amount of advanced packaging production capacity from TSMC.
Since the introduction of the A11 Bionic in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X in 2017, Apple has incorporated a Neural Engine into its A-series chips. The chip initially featured a dual-core Neural Engine, which was later expanded to eight cores for the A12 and A13 Bionic chips introduced in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
