On June 11, Fast Technology reported that Apple announced a major update to iOS 18 at the WWDC24 developer conference and launched its first generative AI model - Apple Intelligence, also known as Apple Intelligence in Chinese.

The launch of Apple Intelligence marks a new breakthrough for Apple in the AI field. It supports natural language understanding, can analyze user content and instructions, and provides functions such as automatically polishing emails and summarizing memos.

In addition, this AI can also generate images in various styles such as sketches, illustrations, and animations, and can even automatically identify the importance level of notifications and reorder them to reduce unnecessary distractions.

However, the limitation of this technology is that it requires powerful edge processing capabilities and can only run on devices equipped with A17 Pro or M series SoC.

This means that for iPhone users who want to experience Apple Intelligence, they must upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or wait for the iPhone 16 series to be released in September.

Apple's decision will undoubtedly accelerate the elimination of older iPhone models and put pressure on users to upgrade their devices.

Although iOS 18 provides upgrade support for more older models, including custom lock screen status, app lock, and improved messaging functions, the limitations of Apple Intelligence show that while Apple is promoting the popularization of the latest technology, it is gradually abandoning software support for older devices.

iOS 18 is expected to enter public beta testing in July, and users will be able to experience Apple's new features and optimizations. However, for those who cannot use Apple Intelligence, this may be a big disappointment.