The AI built into your phone’s operating system does more on the device every year, but only on recent hardware. On iPhone, Apple Intelligence needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, and runs many features on a roughly 3-billion-parameter on-device model, sending bigger requests to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. On Android, Google’s Gemini Nano runs on-device features on supported flagships such as the Pixel 9 and later and the Galaxy S25 and S26 series. Older phones get little or none of it.
Here’s what’s current as of September 2026, what runs locally, and what’s missing.
Which version am I on? #
- iOS 26 came out on September 15, 2025. The latest update is iOS 26.6.2.
- iOS 27 was announced at WWDC on June 8, 2026 and is due for release on September 14, 2026. It supports the same iPhones as iOS 26, but Apple Intelligence still needs an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.
- Android 17 reached stable release on June 16, 2026. Android 16 came out in 2025. On Android, what AI you get depends as much on your phone as on the version.
Check your version in Settings > General > About on iPhone, or Settings > About phone on Android.
What AI does iOS 26 run on the iPhone? #
Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 or later, plus 7 GB of free storage. On those phones, iOS 26 includes:
- Writing Tools: rewrite, proofread and summarize text in most apps. Many requests use the on-device model.
- Live Translation: translation of messages and calls using on-device models.
- Visual intelligence: ask about what’s on screen or in front of the camera, with the option to hand requests to ChatGPT or Google.
- Photo tools such as Clean Up to remove objects.
- A Foundation Models framework that lets other apps use Apple’s on-device model, so some third-party features now run locally too.
Requests the on-device model can’t handle can go to Private Cloud Compute, Apple’s servers designed not to store your data. ChatGPT requests go to OpenAI, and Apple asks before sending them. We explain these tiers in is Apple Intelligence private.
What changes in iOS 27? #
iOS 27’s headline is a rebuilt Siri with more natural conversation and deeper links into your apps. Apple says it runs on Private Cloud Compute with a model Apple trained and refined using outputs from Google’s Gemini models, after the two companies announced a partnership in January 2026. Writing Tools and image features also get upgrades, and some resource-heavy features come with daily usage limits.
The practical point: more of iOS 27’s new AI runs in Apple’s private cloud rather than purely on the phone, so it needs a connection. Apple’s privacy design for that cloud is strong, but it’s not the same as “never leaves the phone.”
What AI does Android run on the phone? #
Google’s on-device model is Gemini Nano. It runs inside AICore, an Android system service, and Google says it works “without needing a network connection or sending data to the cloud.” Through Google’s ML Kit, apps can use Gemini Nano for:
- Summarizing articles and conversations
- Proofreading and rewriting short messages
- Describing images
- Transcribing speech
- Custom text and image prompts
Which phones? Google’s developer list includes the Pixel 9, 10 and 11 series, the Galaxy S25 and S26 series, Galaxy Z Fold7, Fold8 and Flip8, and recent flagships from OnePlus, Xiaomi, vivo, OPPO, Honor, Motorola and others. Support varies by feature.
Separately, the Gemini app is Google’s cloud assistant. It’s powerful, but conversations go to Google’s servers. Samsung’s Galaxy AI mixes on-device and cloud features, and Samsung offers a setting to keep processing on the device.
What can built-in phone AI not do? #
| Need | Built-in AI | Local AI app |
|---|---|---|
| Works on older phones | No | Yes, with enough RAM |
| Open-ended private chat | Mostly via cloud assistants | Yes, on the phone |
| Choose the model | No | Yes |
| Ask about your own PDFs offline | Limited | Yes, in some apps |
| Custom instructions per chat | No | Yes |
| Tight system integration | Yes | No |
| Voice control of the phone | Yes | No |
Built-in AI is good at small, integrated jobs: fix this sentence, summarize these notifications, translate this call. It isn’t built for a long, private conversation with a model you choose, and it leaves out everyone with an older phone.
Where a local AI app fits #
A local AI app runs an open language model on your phone’s own chip. It works on phones Apple and Google don’t support for their own AI, and nothing is sent to a server.
Personal LLM is one example. It runs on iOS 15.1 or later and Android 7 or later, with models such as Qwen 3.5, Gemma 4, Ministral 3 and GLM 4.6V Flash. It uses the GPU through Metal on iPhone and OpenCL on Snapdragon phones with Adreno 700-series graphics or newer, falling back to the CPU elsewhere. Every model card shows whether it fits your phone’s RAM before you download. Beyond chat, it can answer questions about photos and PDFs on the device, and it has thinking mode for math and logic.
It doesn’t replace system AI. It can’t control your phone or summarize your notifications. It’s the piece you add when you want a private, capable chat that works offline on the phone you already own. For a comparison of the voice assistants, see Siri, Gemini or a local AI.
Should you upgrade your phone for AI? #
Only if the built-in features are ones you’d use daily. An iPhone 15 Pro or later gets Apple Intelligence; a Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25 or later gets Gemini Nano. If what you want is an offline chatbot, you likely don’t need a new phone. A phone with 6 GB of RAM runs a good 4B model, and even 3 to 4 GB is enough for smaller ones. See running AI on an old phone.
Frequently asked questions #
Which iPhones support Apple Intelligence? #
The iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 and later models. Apple Intelligence also needs 7 GB of free storage and a supported language setting.
When does iOS 27 come out? #
Apple announced iOS 27 on June 8, 2026, and it’s due for release on September 14, 2026. It supports the same iPhones as iOS 26.
Does my Android phone have Gemini Nano? #
Only if it’s on Google’s supported list, which includes the Pixel 9 and later, the Galaxy S25 and S26 series, and recent flagships from several other brands. Mid-range and older phones generally don’t have it.
Does built-in phone AI work offline? #
Parts of it. On-device features, like many Apple Writing Tools requests and Gemini Nano features, work without a connection. Anything that uses Private Cloud Compute, the Gemini app or ChatGPT needs internet. Our guide to AI without internet lists what works.
Can I get AI features on an older phone? #
Not Apple Intelligence or Gemini Nano. You can install a local AI app that runs open models on the phone, which works on many older devices with 3 GB of RAM or more.