text model · DeepSeek-R1-Distill · iOS
Can I run DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B on iPhone 17 Pro?
Yes. DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B runs on iPhone 17 Pro at Q4_K_M (~6.1 GB of ~8 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~6.1 GB of ~8 GB usable.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~6.1 GB
- Usable on device
- ~8 GB
- Device memory
- 12 GB
- Best quant
- Q4_K_M
How to run it
On iOS use Apple Foundation Models (Built into iOS 26, ~3B on-device model, zero download, fully private.). Phones realistically run 1B-4B class models. Anything larger thermally throttles or OOMs.
- Parameters
- 7B
- Q4_K_M size
- 4.68 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 8.1 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- deepseek-r1:7b
- Memory
- 12 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~8 GB
- Best runtime
- llama.cpp + Metal (via PocketPal or Off Grid app)
You could also run
Run DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPhone 17 Pro run DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B?
Yes. DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B runs on iPhone 17 Pro at Q4_K_M (~6.1 GB of ~8 GB usable).
How much memory does DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B need?
iPhone 17 Pro has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~4.68 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~6.1 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen 7B on iOS?
On iPhone and iPad, Apple Foundation Models (Built into iOS 26, ~3B on-device model, zero download, fully private.) is the standard choice. Phones realistically run 1B-4B class models. Anything larger thermally throttles or OOMs.
Sources
Memory figures are estimates. See methodology.