After years of promises and delays, Apple finally unveiled the enhanced version of Siri at WWDC 2026. The new voice assistant, powered by Apple Intelligence models, will be available with the stable release of iOS 27 this fall. However, not all iPhones can use it: only devices compatible with Apple Intelligence will receive the update. Here are the supported models and what changes users can expect.
Compatibility extended to iPhones with A17 Pro chip and later
According to Apple, Siri AI will be available on all iPhones from the iPhone 15 Pro series onward. This includes iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Plus, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. iPads and Macs with Apple Silicon are also supported, as well as the 2024 iPad mini thanks to its A17 Pro chip. To check compatibility, open Settings and look for the "Apple Intelligence & Siri" section: if present, your device will receive the upgrade.
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Siri AI launches as a beta, requiring manual opt-in
Apple confirmed that the new assistant will initially be released as a beta. Users will need to manually enable it, similar to the iOS 27 developer beta waitlist. Fortunately, iOS 27 will support iPhones as old as the iPhone 11, ensuring broad system compatibility. However, only devices with A17 Pro or newer chips can take full advantage of the AI features.
Tangible improvements: context understanding and chained commands
The new Siri can handle complex personal requests by understanding context and referencing notes, messages, emails, and photos. Smaller Apple Foundation Models run on-device for speed and privacy, while more complex prompts are processed in the cloud via Private Cloud Compute, ensuring data remains inaccessible to third parties. Additionally, owners of iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air will benefit from a more powerful on-device model, enabling expressive voices, improved speech recognition, and more accurate dictation.
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iPhone 18 and future models: the 12GB RAM limit
Upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold will feature advanced on-device AI models. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is boosting memory in base iPhones to 9GB, but the most powerful AI models require at least 12GB of RAM. This means the standard iPhone 18 may not support all Siri AI features. For more on upcoming models, read our article on the Tata data leak revealing iPhone 18 Pro details. In comparison, the Google Pixel 11 keeps its design and focuses on camera and affordable pricing.
For more information on Siri's capabilities, see the Wikipedia page on Siri.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2206159/iphone-models-getting-new-siri-ai
