The next generation of Apple Intelligence introduces a new on-device model more powerful than anything Apple has shipped before. Apple Intelligence features remain the exclusive domain of Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, and while all these devices will still be eligible for most of the new AI features, Apple is raising the bar to another level for some of the most demanding new features. A big point of confusion has been the exclusivity of Apple’s "most powerful on-device model", known officially as Apple Foundation Models (AFM) Core Advanced. Only three iPhones — the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air — have enough RAM (12GB) to access this model and, therefore, the very best version of Siri AI. But should you buy an iPhone 17 Pro just for the advanced Siri features?
The iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 17 do not include advanced Siri features because they ships with 8GB of memory, falling short of the 12GB threshold. The standard memory requirement for Apple Intelligence has been 8GB since its introduction, so this marks the first time Apple has raised the bar for its most capable on-device features.
Incidentally, more RAM also facilitates faster app loading and more seamless switching between apps, though the differences between iPhones on those fronts are already negligible (the iPhone 15 Pro feels just as fast to navigate as the iPhone Air, for instance). What’s more, iOS 27 is making app loading and switching faster for all compatible iPhones, so having more or less RAM isn’t a cause for concern outside of AI.
According to Apple’s press release, the new model specifically enables features including expressive voices and more advanced dictation.
On devices that support Apple’s most advanced on-device model, Siri AI will deliver more expressive voices alongside a significant improvement to systemwide dictation accuracy. Users will be able to adjust both the expressiveness and pace of Siri’s voice to their preference via a new UI with sliders.
The updated dictation engine will capture speech as polished text, automatically handling capitalization, punctuation, and formatting in real time. Apple says improved speech understanding means users can speak naturally and trust that their words will appear accurately and as intended.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean that if you own, say, an iPhone 15 Pro, your Siri will be incapable of converting speech into text. Yes, Siri has been awful at doing just that in the past — anyone who’s tried to send a message using CarPlay will know what I’m talking about — but my understanding is that Siri AI, in being an entirely new version of Siri, will bring improved dictation at a foundational level (i.e. to all compatible iPhones).
But for those who rely on dictation to send messages or navigate their iPhone hands-free, the difference in dictation capabilities between the best iPhones and older models may be more consequential.
But given that AFM Core Advanced is a 20-billion-parameter model that only exists on iPhones with 12GB of RAM, it figures that these iPhones will be able to perform AI tasks more quickly than those equipped with Apple’s 3-billion-parameter AFM Core model and only 8GB of RAM.
This means that if you buy the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air, you are simply getting a more customizable Siri, and one more capable of converting speech into text.
That’s not ideal for iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17 users who thought they were buying a phone "built for Apple Intelligence" — lawyers at the ready! — but these iPhones are capable of running all the Apple Intelligence features revealed at the software’s announcement in 2024 (so, actually, put down your pitchforks).
Of course, in classic marketing fashion, Apple’s small print on the matter leaves the door ajar for more features to be made exclusive to the AFM Core Advanced model: "Apple’s most powerful on-device model and the features it enables, like expressive voices and more advanced dictation, are available on…," reads the press release. ‘Like’ is the operative word there — more hardware-exclusive features are surely coming down the line, ones which require more compute power than Apple’s base AFM Core model can provide.
But for the moment, I do think the furore is a little overblown. If you own an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, you’re getting all but two of the Siri AI features announced at WWDC 2026. So no, I wouldn’t buy an iPhone 17 Pro just for the advanced Siri features.
