Enhancing Your Smartphone's Durability: Insights from Apple and Samsung's Strategies
The world of technology is constantly evolving, and smartphones are no exception. One key factor that sets Apple's iPhone apart from its competitors is its focus on optimising hardware and software integration. However, when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), the question of whether Apple's iPhones are future-proof arises.
For years, Apple has been using less RAM in their iPhones and Macs compared to their counterparts. This strategy has been effective in keeping the devices compact and power-efficient. However, a lack of sufficient RAM in iPhones limits their ability to smoothly run AI-powered features because AI tasks often require large memory and fast memory bandwidth for efficient data processing and multitasking.
The iPhone 14, purchased in 2022, is a case in point. While Samsung's Galaxy S22 series, which came out in the same year, is getting Galaxy AI, the iPhone 14 is not. This discrepancy highlights the importance of RAM in supporting AI-powered features over time.
To future-proof a smartphone, prioritising higher RAM capacity with efficient types is crucial. For instance, the iPhone 17 Pro models have increased their RAM to 12GB (a 50% rise from the previous 8GB), enabling better performance and multitasking with AI workloads. However, the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air have lower or slower RAM types, potentially curbing their AI feature performance.
Other key considerations include processor performance, thermal management, battery capacity and efficiency, and software support and ecosystem. Advanced chips focused on AI computation, like Apple’s A19 Pro, enable faster AI feature execution and extend a phone’s viable lifespan. Efficient cooling allows sustained high performance for AI-heavy tasks without throttling, while a balance between battery size and energy-efficient components extends usability. Ongoing OS updates and integration with ecosystem apps ensure that hardware capabilities translate into useful AI experiences.
For example, the iPhone 6S with 2GB RAM and an A9 CPU was once considered fairly future-proof for its time, emphasising the importance of CPU and RAM in supporting new features over multiple years.
Interestingly, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has better battery life than many Android phones with larger physical batteries. For instance, it consistently outperforms phones like the S24 Ultra with a 5000mAh battery in tests. Even 2021's S21 series gets some Galaxy AI features.
However, it's worth noting that Apple dropped support for phones that were not even one year old when they announced Apple Intelligence. Only the iPhone 16 series and 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max would receive it, leaving out the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, as well as the iPhone 14.
In conclusion, the more RAM and faster memory technology an iPhone has, the better it can support AI-powered features now and into the future. To future-proof a smartphone, prioritise higher RAM capacity with efficient types, a powerful processor optimised for AI, cooling systems for sustained loads, and sufficient battery capacity combined with strong software support.
- The iPhone 17 Pro models, with their increased RAM capacity of 12GB, are designed to support AI-powered features more effectively, enabling better performance and multitasking.
- On the other hand, the base iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air have lower or slower RAM types, which may potentially limit their AI feature performance over time.
- For a smartphone to be future-proof, it needs not only higher RAM capacity but also a powerful processor optimised for AI, efficient cooling systems for sustained loads, and sufficient battery capacity combined with strong software support.
