This is how much free memory Apple Intelligence needs

With the fifth beta of iOS 18.1, Apple has also updated its device requirements to run Apple’s AI. As 9to5mac discovered, a compatible iPhone must have at least 4GB of free storage to install Apple’s intelligence tools. This is in addition to the storage used by the iOS 18.1 operating system.

In a footnote, Apple also notes that free memory requirements may increase with additional models added to Apple Intelligence.

Reading tip: Diet for the iPhone – how to get more storage space

Even before the release of iOS 18, there were speculations that Apple Intelligence required a large amount of RAM, with at least 8 GB available on the device. The compatible iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro and the new generation iPhone 16, meet these requirements, as do the Macs with Apple Silicon. The iPads (Pro) with M1 and newer also have at least 8 GB of universal RAM built in. The Apple Watch and Apple TV are left out because the two devices do not have enough storage and RAM like the Apple Watch or enough RAM like the Apple TV.

For your information: The current Apple Watches have 64 GB of storage and up to 2 GB of RAM, the third generation Apple TV 4K still has the A15 Bionic built in, which is available in two versions, with 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM.

It is likely that the need for free memory for Apple Intelligence will increase even further, because iOS 18.1 will initially only bring basic functions such as writing tools or smart replies to devices. Image Playgrounds and universal search with Siri will come later.

Apple explained at the keynote on September 9 that instead of a general language model for all tasks, Apple Intelligence consists of several small models for specific tasks. If new functions are added, the corresponding model will most likely be downloaded with the update. If you want to use Apple Intelligence in the future, we would recommend that you invest in more storage on your iPhone immediately, as your device may already be too small with iOS 19.

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