Highlights

• iOS 18 update boosts A17 Pro chip AI performance by 25%.
• Core ML Neural Inference Score on Geekbench increased from 6249 to 7816.
• A17 Pro’s Neural Engine handles up to 35 trillion operations per second.
• MLTensor addition to Core ML framework enhances machine learning capabilities.

Looks like Apple’s been tinkering under the hood with iOS 18, and it’s made the A17 Pro chip a fair bit nippier when it comes to AI tasks.

A17 Pro Getting Better with iOS 18

After iOS 18 update,
Geekbench machine learning score has greatly improved
(CoreML / Neural Engine Backend) pic.twitter.com/23cZm4qYCI

— INIYSA (@lafaiel) June 16, 2024

Apple has something called Core ML, its fancy machine-learning framework that is aiding iPhones and other Apple gadgets to chew up AI stuff faster and more efficiently.

The beauty of Core ML, of course, is that all its work is done on your device, meaning you do not need an internet connection, and your data stays put.

Now, after some small digging, one tech enthusiast on X got something: they found out that when you update from iOS 17.5.1 to iOS 18, the Neural Engine part of the A17 Pro chip—the brains of your iPhone 15 Pro Max—can now run at speeds of, at the most, up to 25 percent faster.

They have got the numbers to back it up, too—the Core ML Neural Inference Score on Geekbench went from 6249 to 7816.

Let’s talk to the spec people: The A17 Pro packs in 8GB of RAM and its Neural Engine is capable of handling a full 35 trillion operations per second. That is some fair jump from the A16 Bionic inside the regular iPhone 15, which peaks at 17 trillion.

If rumors pan out, the M4 iPad Pro Neural Engine will support 38 trillion operations per second, which could be an indicator of what we might get from the A18 and A18 Pro chips that await us with the next round of iPhones.

Apple Tweaking With its ML Framework

Apple’s also tweaked a bit Core ML, adding something called MLTensor.

It should make it easier to do stuff with multi-dimensional arrays—pretty important for machine learning.

Now, the important thing here is, of course, that this 25 percent speed bump comes directly from the software update. Once the A18 and A18 Pro chips come out, we should be seeing even bigger improvements.

The developer beta is out now if you’re itching to try out iOS 18. A public beta will likely land next month, with the final version probably landing in September around new iPhones time.

But all in all, Apple is getting ready to smarten up its devices—now it will be interesting to see how they leverage all that AI juice.

FAQs

How much has the A17 Pro chip’s performance improved with iOS 18?

The A17 Pro chip’s AI task performance has improved by up to 25% with the iOS 18 update.

What is the Core ML Neural Inference Score increase after the iOS 18 update?

The Core ML Neural Inference Score on Geekbench increased from 6249 to 7816 after updating to iOS 18.

What are the capabilities of the A17 Pro’s Neural Engine?

The A17 Pro’s Neural Engine can handle up to 35 trillion operations per second, significantly enhancing AI processing.

What new feature has Apple added to Core ML with iOS 18?

Apple has introduced MLTensor to Core ML, which improves the handling of multi-dimensional arrays for machine learning tasks.

When can users expect to try out iOS 18?

The developer beta for iOS 18 is available now, with a public beta likely next month and the final version expected in September.

Also Read: Apple’s iOS 18 Is Likely to Be Its Most Ambitious Update Yet: Mark Gurman

Also Read: Apple Reportedly Acquires DarwinAI to Boost iOS 18 AI Features and More

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