Apple’s “biggest” update to its operating system will leave those will older iPhones out in the cold.
The iOS 18 update, slated for June, is expected to include four new artificial intelligence-powered features, including large language models (LLMS) and a generative AI app called iWork.
However, those features can only work with iPhones that include its muscular A12 Bionic chip — which excludes anyone still using an iPhone 8 Plus or earlier models.
Additionally, users of the first generation of the lower-cost iPhone series SE (Special Edition) line that was introduced in 2016 also won’t have access to the updated features.
The older iPhones have outdated hardware chips that have slower processors and less memory that won’t be able to support the high-powered features that come with the update.
iPhones that can’t handle iOS 18 software can expect to lose access to all future iOS updates, too.
Representatives for Apple did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Apple’s A12 Bionic chip was first included in the iPhone XR and XS models, which the Cupertino, Calif.-based company released in late 2018.
This means that aside from the XR and XS iPhones, the second and third generations of the iPhone SE models as well as all the smartphones in the iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 model lines will be able to enjoy the new features.
Other iOS 18 features users are looking forward to include new Home Screen design functions that will allow eligible iPhone users to add blank spaces, rows and columns between apps, according to Apple-related news site MacRumors.
Apple Maps will be able to boast custom route options that would let travelers select which routes they want to travel rather than being limited to pre-selected options Apple provides, MacRumors reported.
The rumored features — including a potential partnership with Google’s AI bot Gemini — are set to be confirmed when Apple officially releases iOS 18’s features during its World Wide Developers Conference from June 10 through June 14.
WWDC is anticipated to kick off with a keynote speech — which traditionally unveils the new operating system for the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and TV.
There’s also been buzz that owners of the newly released Apple Vision Pro headset are in for an operating system update.
If the Gemini partnership is true, it’s said to allow users of newer iPhone models to create images and write essays based on simple prompts, according to the Daily Mail.
AI is also slated to be used to improve Siri, enabling the digital assistant to provide more accurate responses to queries.
Apple’s Messaging app will also be incorporating AI to “field questions and auto-complete sentences,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote in his “Power On” newsletter.
“I’m told that the new operating system is seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates — if not the biggest — in the company’s history,” Gurman said. “With that knowledge, Apple’s developers conference in June should be pretty exciting.”
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