text model · Yi · iOS
Yi Can I run Yi 1.5 34B on iPhone Air?
No. Yi 1.5 34B needs ~21.4 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPhone Air only has ~8 GB usable.
Needs ~21.4 GB even at Q4_K_M, but only ~8 GB is usable.
- Q4_K_M needed
- ~21.4 GB
- Usable on device
- ~8 GB
- Device memory
- 12 GB
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
- 34B
- Q4_K_M size
- 19.24 GB
- Q8_0 size
- 34.03 GB
- Context
- 32k
- Memory
- 12 GB unified
- Usable for weights
- ~8 GB
- Best runtime
- llama.cpp + Metal (via PocketPal or Off Grid app)
What you can run instead
Run Yi 1.5 34B on other hardware
FAQ
Can iPhone Air run Yi 1.5 34B?
No. Yi 1.5 34B needs ~21.4 GB even at Q4_K_M, but iPhone Air only has ~8 GB usable.
How much memory does Yi 1.5 34B need?
iPhone Air does not have enough memory. At Q4_K_M the weights are ~19.24 GB; with KV cache and runtime overhead, budget ~21.4 GB at a 4k context.
What is the best tool to run Yi 1.5 34B 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.