text model · Phi-3.5 · iOS
Can I run Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B on iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config)?
Yes. Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B runs on iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) at Q4_K_M (~3.7 GB of ~12 GB usable).
Runs at Q4_K_M using ~3.7 GB of ~12 GB usable. You have room for FP16 for higher quality.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~3.7 GB
- Usable on device
- ~12 GB
- Device memory
- 16 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
- 3.82B
- Q4_K_M size
- 2.39 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 4.06 GB
- Context
- 128k
- Ollama tag
- phi3.5:3.8b
- Memory
- 16 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~12 GB
- Best runtime
- MLX (via Python or Swift; mlx-lm package)
You could also run
Run Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) run Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B?
Yes. Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B runs on iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) at Q4_K_M (~3.7 GB of ~12 GB usable).
How much memory does Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B need?
iPad Pro M4 (16GB, 1TB/2TB config) has room to spare. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~2.39 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~3.7 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Phi-3.5-mini 3.8B 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.