Apple's iPhone 18 may get a smaller RAM bump than expected، here's why
Summary: Apple may give its next base-model iPhones, the iPhone 18 and 18e, a 9GB RAM upgrade, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which would be a 1GB increase over the iPhone 16 generation and smaller than the jump seen in Pro models. The Pro models and a foldable iPhone, possibly called the iPhone Ultra, are expected to remain at 12GB and launch in the fall. The base iPhone 18 and 18e are expected to arrive in early 2027 because of memory supply constraints, while Apple is also facing rising memory costs tied to AI demand and pressure to increase RAM for Apple Intelligence and new Siri features. The article says the key question is whether 9GB will be enough to run Apple’s expanding on-device AI features smoothly on the base model.
The latest
Apple may be planning its smallest RAM upgrade in years for its next base-model iPhones, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, one of the most closely watched Apple forecasters in the industry.
Details
• Kuo said the iPhone 18 and 18e are expected to feature 9GB of RAM — a 1GB increase over the iPhone 16 generation, and a much smaller jump than the leap from 8GB to 12GB seen on the iPhone 16 Pro to 17 Pro.
• Pro models and the foldable iPhone — potentially called the iPhone Ultra — are expected to stay at 12GB and remain on track for a fall launch.
• The base iPhone 18 and 18e are expected to arrive in early 2027, with Apple splitting its launch calendar due to memory supply constraints.
• Apple has already raised prices on Macs and iPads by up to $400, citing surging memory costs driven by AI demand across the industry.
• The company is simultaneously under pressure to increase RAM to support Apple Intelligence and the revamped Siri features unveiled at WWDC 2026 — making the tradeoff harder on lower-priced devices.
What to watch
Whether a 9GB ceiling is enough to run Apple's expanding on-device AI features smoothly on the base iPhone 18. If it isn't, the memory shortage won't just be a pricing story — it will become a performance one.