The iPhone 18 may get the RAM upgrade it desperately needs

Apple may give the standard iPhone 18 enough RAM for more on-device AI features

By Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam Published August 13, 2026

Back of the Apple iPhone 17 in lavender purple — Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

The standard iPhone 18 may get a bigger memory upgrade than previously expected, and it could solve one of the biggest limitations the phone was expected to have.

According to analyst Jeff Pu in a research note seen by 9to5Mac, Apple is expected to equip the iPhone 18 with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the iPhone 17. That’s also considerably more than the 9GB previously predicted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

12GB could unlock more of Apple’s AI features

The extra 3GB could prove particularly important for iOS 27. Apple’s AFM Core Advanced model, which powers Advanced Dictation Preview and its new expressive Siri voices, requires at least 12GB of RAM to run locally.

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We previously covered how the rumored 9GB configuration could leave the standard iPhone 18 unable to run those features, despite moving to Apple’s new A20 chip. Pu’s claim would remove that particular hardware limitation.

There is some disagreement over the cheaper iPhone 18e. Pu expects that model to have 9GB of RAM, which could leave it without the same AI capabilities despite also using the A20.

Apple needs a lot of memory

Giving the standard iPhone 18 12GB would be particularly notable considering Apple’s current memory problems. DRAM shortages are reportedly already holding up packaging of the A20 Pro chips destined for this fall’s iPhone 18 Pro models.

Apple is also testing DRAM from Chinese manufacturer CXMT as it searches for additional supply. Memory prices have climbed enough that Apple has already raised prices on several Macs and iPads.

The standard iPhone 18 isn’t expected until spring 2027, giving Apple more time to secure enough memory. Pu’s 12GB prediction also remains unconfirmed, especially since it conflicts with Kuo’s earlier 9GB claim.

The bigger question is what the extra RAM could mean for pricing. The 12GB + 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max is already expected to cost nearly $300 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and adding more memory to the base iPhone 18 model could put similar pressure on its starting price. Apple may have to decide how much of that added component cost it is willing to absorb.

Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam

Contributor

I’ve got about 4 years of experience, mostly covering gaming, PC hardware, and smartphones. In my free time, I like…

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