Apple has some catching up to do when it comes to on-device artificial intelligence, but the company’s next flagship iPhone chipset may help close the gap with rivals Samsung and Google.

According to a new report from the Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News, the A18 chip expected to power the upcoming iPhone 16 line will have a “significantly” higher number of Neural Engine cores than the A17 chip in the current iPhone 15 Pro models.

The Neural Engine is the part of Apple’s chips specifically designed to handle AI and machine learning tasks. More cores mean greater parallel processing power for things like live dictation, advanced photography features powered by machine learning, and faster voice assistance from Siri.

Neither Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy S24 series nor Google’s Pixel 8 lineup skimp on AI muscle. The S24 contains a custom AI chip, while the Pixel 8 sports Google’s own Tensor G2 processor with boosted AI capabilities. Apple has some catching up to do if it wants to match the on-device experiences those Android phones can deliver.

The A17 Neural Engine has 16 cores, so if the report about a significant increase is accurate, the A18’s core count could jump substantially. Even just doubling the cores to 32 would provide a major boost to Apple’s AI potential.

Of course, the core count isn’t everything. The A17 Neural Engine is already twice as fast as the A16’s, despite both having 16 cores. Efficiency and architectural improvements play a big role too. However, more cores provide the parallel processing power needed for complex AI.

There is a chance this major Neural Engine upgrade could be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro models, with the standard iPhone 16 sticking with the A17. Some AI-powered camera features are already exclusive to Apple’s Pro phones, so a discrepancy in chipset capabilities wouldn’t be shocking.

Either way, it’s clear Apple needs to push its silicon forward to keep pace with Samsung, Google, and others in the on-device AI race. The A18 looks like it could be a big leap if today’s report holds true. We’ll know for sure when the iPhone 16 line launches, likely around September. For now, it seems Apple recognizes the importance of AI performance and is preparing its next flagship chipset to deliver.