If your iPhone already nags you about running out of storage, iOS 27 just made the problem worse. Apple has confirmed that the next generation of Apple Intelligence can require up to 14GB of free space on its newest iPhones, nearly double what older models need, according to a report by 9to5Mac.
The figures come from Apple’s own support document on the next generation of Apple Intelligence. It calls for up to 14GB of on-device storage on the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, and the same requirement covers the brand new iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo. Every other iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence needs up to 8GB instead.
So where does all that extra space go? The newest phones run a larger on-device AI model that powers two standout features: Siri voices you can customize for pace and expressiveness, and more accurate dictation. Apple’s own Siri AI documentation confirms the expressive voices require the AFM Core Advanced on-device model found in these devices.
The timing is no coincidence. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max just landed in Canada on Friday, and our iPhone 18 Pro review roundup has been tracking what reviewers make of the new AI features. If you are deciding between generations, our iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro comparison breaks down the year over year changes in detail.
It also arrives right as Siri gets its biggest overhaul in years. Siri AI rolled out across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 earlier this week, so Apple is asking more of its on-device models than ever before.
Bottom line: if you own one of the new phones and want the full Apple Intelligence experience, be ready to free up some room. That photo library or those offline playlists might need to go on a diet.
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And despite all that, there are now some apps that now need to ‘call home’ for server side work to fully operate.
Example: Photos’ Clean Up – you may be able to do several edits and then, without warning, it will pop up an error warning and ask you try again later. Seems users may be limited to amount / complexity of work they can do within a (non-specified) time frame.
Using ‘Fast’ *may* bypass that – one assumes because that forces app to use onboard AI.