iPhone AI just made me understand what some Android users must feel like

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There are two groups of people when it comes to mobile software updates: Those who care about the latest mobile operating system release and those who don’t. I’ve always been in the former category, curious and excited to use the latest OS version available for my device.

It’s one reason I’ve used an iPhone for so long. Apple’s way of releasing new software was incredibly predictable. A new iOS version would be unveiled at WWDC, and then it would be released to most iPhones by September. The beta program meant I would generally get on the new iOS release in June or July, even though it would be a buggy OS.

Meanwhile, Android users who wanted the same experience needed to secure a Nexus or Pixel phone. Otherwise, the newest Android release would not be available to them when Google’s phones got it. They’d have to wait for the company that made their device and their carrier to approve the Android OS update, which would take several months.

I couldn’t fathom such an experience, but I finally understand it. Apple has just rolled out iOS 18.1 beta 1, which brings Apple Intelligence to several iPhone, iPad, and Mac models. But my 2022 iPhone 14 Pro, which runs iOS 18 without a hitch, can’t get the iPhone AI experience. There’s nothing I can do at this time to run Apple Intelligence. Moreover, no amount of waiting will fix my problem, either.

I finally understand the frustrations of some Android users who were passionate about Google’s latest software releases but couldn’t get them as soon as possible.

To be fair, Android fragmentation hasn’t been such a big problem in recent years. Yes, not all devices out there run Android 14, and it’ll be a while until Android 15 rolls out to supported devices.

But the Android experience over the past few releases is rather similar. Like Apple, Google has refined Android in recent years, and you’ll have no problem running an OS version that’s slightly older. You still get security updates and access to the same apps.

Also, I have to remind you that several smartphone vendors have started upping the ante when it comes to Android support. Gone are the days when even Google would only guarantee a couple of years of Android OS updates. Some high-end Pixels and Galaxy phones now come with a 7-year software guarantee, which is somewhat of a marketing gimmick.

I can’t imagine a 2024 Android phone’s limitations in running Android 22. But if an Android phone can last for four or five years running the latest Android version, that’s still a big win. It’s on par with what Apple does with the iPhone.

One problem that remains concerns the speed of Android updates. Pixels are the first to get access to the newest Android updates. That will never change. But other Android vendors have also sped up their Android OS updates. Not to mention that several handsets support Google’s Android beta program, so you can get on Android 15 beta immediately.

The arrival of generative AI will complicate things on Android too, not just iPhone. You’ll need specific hardware requirements for processing AI requests on-device. Privacy is the holy grail of personal AI experiences and the reason Apple Intelligence can’t run on my old iPhone.

Apple needs newer Neural Engines, and at least 8GB of RAM to run its AI features on the iPhone. Rivals are also beefing up the hardware. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 have 12GB of RAM. Most Pixel 9 flavors will rock 16GB of memory. All these devices will feature newer chips.

And no, I wouldn’t want to run Apple Intelligence on my iPhone if that meant Apple would have to process more of my data in the cloud than on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer devices.

What I’m getting at is that I don’t just feel the frustration of Android users who are trained to wait for Android updates longer than I ever had to wait for iOS updates. I also understand the moment we’re in. We’re very early into the phone AI assistant race.

Yes, iOS 18 will deliver a big fragmentation, just as Android 15 will, when it comes to AI features. But that will disappear in the coming years. Any iPhone you buy, starting with the iPhone 16 models, will run Apple AI out of the box.

That’s the only fix Android users of old had. Once their device would stop receiving Android updates, or if they came in too late, they could always upgrade to the newest Android phone available, which would come with Google’s latest Android release on board.

That same fix will apply to me. I will have to buy a new iPhone to get the Apple Intelligence features working. However, I won’t get an iPhone 15 Pro for that. I will wait for the iPhone 16 series to come out.

But even then, I have one extra hurdle involving more waiting. There’s no telling when Apple Intelligence will be available to iPhone owners in the European Union. That’s all thanks to the EU’s policymakers rather than Apple’s AI-mandated iOS fragmentation.