On Monday, Apple introduced the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, highlighting them as the first devices specifically designed for Apple Intelligence, powered by the new A18 and A18 Pro processors. In a recent interview, Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, shared further insights regarding the iPhone 16 series and Apple Intelligence, including the confirmation that every iPhone 16 model is equipped with 8GB of RAM.
In the previous year, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus came with 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were fitted with 8GB. This difference in RAM is thought to be a key factor in why only the iPhone 15 Pro models were capable of running Apple Intelligence. With this year’s iPhone 16 lineup, all four models are set to run Apple Intelligence, significantly enabled by their shared 8GB RAM.
Srouji confirmed this information in an interview with Geekerwan. This announcement marks a notable shift, as Apple typically refrains from publicly detailing RAM specifications in prior releases.
During the conversation, Srouji elaborated on the rationale behind the RAM upgrade, emphasizing its role in enhancing Apple Intelligence, while also benefiting various other applications:
“Our objective is to create superior products that deliver the ultimate user experience. With regard to Apple Intelligence, the RAM is just one of the factors we considered. As we develop our silicon, hardware, and software, we aim to optimize efficiency rather than being wasteful.
We analyze vast amounts of data to determine what features will be enabled, and Apple Intelligence is a critical component. We evaluate various configurations for computation, memory bandwidth, and capacity to make the most informed decisions. The requirement for 8GB was primarily driven by the need for Apple Intelligence.
Additionally, this memory increase will significantly enhance performance across other applications, including high-performance gaming and AAA titles. It will provide substantial benefits in these areas.
A key advantage of our integrated approach to software and silicon is that our talented software team can optimize applications not only for processing power but also for memory usage, minimizing waste.
Through careful consideration of these factors, we determined that 8GB was the ideal choice for our devices.”
When discussing how Apple’s silicon measures against competitors and the choice not to prioritize core counts like others in the industry, Srouji stated:
“In terms of single-thread performance, our silicon is leading the industry, setting the standard. The same holds true for our efficiency cores, where we also excel significantly.
We analyze extensive simulation and performance modeling data to tailor our configurations, taking into account factors like battery size, power delivery mechanisms, and thermal management. Over-engineering would be inefficient.
For instance, we concluded that our iPhone’s architecture needs two performance cores alongside efficiency cores, meeting the product’s requirements, as our single-thread performance is unparalleled and the efficiency cores perform admirably for various tasks.”
For anyone interested in a deeper dive, the interview is highly recommended and can be viewed below. It stands out as one of the most engaging discussions with Srouji, revealing technical details about Apple Silicon and the careful decision-making process behind the development of new products and technology.
