The AI-powered Siri overhaul won't be a free-for-all. According to a new report, only iPhones with Apple Intelligence support will get the upgrade this fall.
What Happened
A report from Engadget details which iPhone models will be eligible for Apple's next-generation Siri, which is expected to roll out this fall alongside a new iOS update. According to the report, the revamped assistant — built around large language model technology and deeper on-device app integration — will only be available on iPhones that already support Apple Intelligence, Apple's broader AI feature suite introduced in 2024.
That means the new Siri is expected to reach the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 lineup, and Apple's newest iPhone 17 models, all of which carry chips powerful enough to handle Apple Intelligence workloads. Older iPhones and non-Pro models from the iPhone 15 generation and earlier are reportedly being left out due to hardware limitations, including Neural Engine and memory requirements.
Why It Matters
Siri has lagged behind AI assistants from Google, OpenAI, and Amazon for years, and Apple has publicly acknowledged the need for a major overhaul. Limiting the new Siri to specific hardware underscores just how much on-device processing power Apple's AI ambitions require — and it draws a hard line between iPhones that get to participate in Apple's AI future and those that don't.
The Context
Apple Intelligence launched with iOS 18 as a staged rollout, starting with select features on supported devices. Siri's AI overhaul has been one of the most anticipated — and delayed — pieces of that puzzle, following reports that Apple pushed back deeper Siri improvements originally planned for earlier in 2025. This latest report suggests Apple is finally nearing a public rollout, tied to hardware capable of running its on-device AI models efficiently.
BrandonVworld Take
Here's the thing, V-Fam: this isn't shocking, but it does sting a little if you're rocking an older iPhone that still runs great. Apple drawing the line at Apple Intelligence-compatible hardware makes technical sense — real AI processing isn't free, and older Neural Engines just aren't built for it. But it also means Apple's AI reset is going to feel like a two-tier iPhone experience for a while: the phones that can talk to a smarter Siri, and the phones that can't. If you've been holding onto an iPhone 14 or an iPhone 15 (non-Pro), this might be the nudge that finally gets you upgrading.
What We Still Don't Know
Apple hasn't officially confirmed the exact feature set, release date, or full list of supported devices for the new Siri. It's also unclear whether older Apple Intelligence-eligible devices will get the complete experience or a scaled-down version. Treat specifics as developing until Apple confirms them directly.
Will Apple's AI reset finally make Siri competitive — or just widen the gap between old and new iPhones?