On September 9th, during the "_Surprise and Shine" press conference, Apple launched a new version of the _Siri AI, along with the _iPhone 18 and _Pro series, as well as a new generation of _A20 Pro chips. The new voice assistant will be available in test mode from this month onwards, but it will not be offered on the _iPhone and _iPad devices in the European Union during the initial release phase.
Siri AI Testing to be launched this month.
This is the biggest overhaul of Siri since its launch in 2011. The new version, Siri, allows for more natural continuous conversations, recognizes content on the screen, and can invoke third-party applications to perform actions without the need for users to repeat the context.
Apple claims that this system can run across more than 300,000 third-party applications. Its underlying architecture combines device-side models with private cloud computing to handle more complex requests. According to the disclosure, Siri AI will start testing this month on devices in supported regions.
A20 Pro to AI Performance
A20 Pro is Apple's first mobile phone chip to utilize TSMC's 2-nanometer manufacturing process. Apple claims that this is also the first 2-nanometer chip to be mass-produced and implemented in smartphones. Smaller transistors mean that the chip can provide higher computing power without significantly increasing the burden on heat dissipation and battery life.
According to data released by Apple, the A20 Pro model features a 6-core CPU architecture, consisting of 2 high-performance cores and 4 energy-efficient cores, which results in a speed increase of up to 20% compared to the A19 Pro; the 7-core GPU model sees a speed improvement of up to 40% over the previous generation; moreover, the memory bandwidth has been increased by 50%.
More directly related to the AI task is the neural network engine. Apple has upgraded it from a 16-core design that has been maintained for three consecutive generations to a dual-engine 32-core design, and it is paired with a new thermal pad cooling system. The cooling area has reached three times that of the previous generation, in order to support longer-running AI tasks on the client side.
Foldable screen models will be available for sale in October.
In terms of hardware, the iPhone and Pro maintain a 6.3-inch screen, while the Pro Max features a 6.9-inch screen. There are not many changes in appearance, but the Dynamic Island has been reduced in size, and new color options such as black, silver, glacier, and wine red have been added.
Apple also released its first foldable phone iPhone Duo. The device features a 5.5-inch outer screen and a 7.8-inch inner screen, with the 256GB version starting at $1999 and the 2TB version priced near $3000. This phone supports Apple Pencil and uses Touch ID instead of Face ID. It will be available later than other new models, with sales expected to begin in October.
In addition, the iOS model, which comes equipped with the new versions of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, will be released on September 14th. The system is compatible with models from iPhone onwards, as well as the second-generation iPhone and SE. However, the features of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence are only available on the iPhone 15, Pro models, and subsequent updates.
