When it comes to mobile software updates, people fall into two camps – those who care about the latest mobile operating system releases and those who don’t. I’ve always been in the former category, curious about the latest OS version available for my devices and looking forward to using it.
One of the reasons I’ve stuck with an iPhone for so many years is that Apple has been incredibly predictable in the way it releases new software: New iOS versions are announced at WWDC and released to most iPhones by September. Thanks to beta programs, new iOS releases were usually available in June or July, even for buggy OSes.
Meanwhile, Android users who wanted the same experience had to get a Nexus or Pixel phone, or they would miss out on the latest Android releases when Google’s phones got them – they would have to wait for the company that made the device and the carrier to approve the Android OS update, which could take months.
I couldn’t imagine such an experience, but now I finally understand. Apple just released iOS 18.1 beta 1, which introduces Apple Intelligence to multiple models of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, the iPhone AI experience is not available on my 2022 iPhone 14 Pro, which runs iOS 18 without any issues. At this time, there is nothing I can do to run Apple Intelligence. Moreover, no matter how long I wait, the problem will not be resolved.
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I finally understand the frustration of some Android users who were eager for Google’s latest software release but couldn’t get it as soon as they could.
To be fair, Android fragmentation hasn’t been as big an issue in recent years – certainly not all devices are running Android 14, and it will be a while before Android 15 rolls out to supported devices.
But the Android experience over the past few releases has been pretty similar: Like Apple, Google has been improving Android in recent years, so you can run it on a slightly older version of the OS without any issues — you’ll still get security updates and have access to the same apps.
It’s also worth remembering that some smartphone vendors are starting to up the ante when it comes to Android support. Gone are the days when even Google only guaranteed Android OS updates for two or three years. Some high-end Pixel and Galaxy smartphones now come with seven-year software warranties, which is more of a marketing ploy.
I can’t imagine what limitations an Android phone in 2024 will have in running Android 22. But it’s still a big win if an Android phone can last 4-5 years running the latest Android version, which is on par with what Apple is doing with the iPhone.
Google I/O 2024: Gemini Assistant knows what you do on your Android phone and offers help on request.
One of the remaining issues concerns the speed of Android updates. Pixel has had first access to the latest Android updates, and that will continue to be the case. However, other Android vendors are also speeding up their Android OS updates. Not to mention, some devices support Google’s Android Beta program, meaning they’ll get the Android 15 Beta sooner.
The advent of generative AI complicates things not only for iPhones but also for Android: Handling AI requests on a device requires specific hardware requirements. Privacy is the holy grail of a personal AI experience, and is also the reason why Apple Intelligence doesn’t run on my old iPhone.
Apple needs a newer Neural Engine and at least 8GB of RAM to run its AI features in its iPhones. Rivals are also beefing up their hardware: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 have 12GB of RAM, and most Pixel 9 models will have 16GB of memory. All of these devices will have newer chips.
And no, if Apple has to process more data in the cloud than it does on iPhone 15 Pro and newer devices, I wouldn’t want to run Apple Intelligence on my iPhone.
I mean, I don’t just feel the frustration of Android users who have been trained to wait longer for Android updates than I ever waited for iOS updates, I understand the situation we’re in: we’re very early in the race for AI assistants in phones.
Apple Intelligence announced at WWDC 2024. Image courtesy of Apple Inc.
Sure, iOS 18 introduces a lot of fragmentation when it comes to AI capabilities, as does Android 15. But that will be resolved over the next few years: starting with the iPhone 16 models, every iPhone you buy will run Apple AI out of the box.
That was the only solution Android users had back in the day: if their device stopped receiving Android updates or the updates came too late, they could always upgrade to the latest Android phone, which would have Google’s latest Android release.
The same fix applies to me. I need to buy a new iPhone to get the Apple Intelligence features to work. However, I’m not going to buy an iPhone 15 Pro for that purpose. I’m going to wait until the iPhone 16 series is released.
But there’s still one more hurdle to wait for: We don’t know when Apple Intelligence will be available to iPhone owners in the European Union. This isn’t all down to Apple’s AI-driven iOS fragmentation, but the fault of EU policymakers.
