Apple Inc. is reportedly planning a significant increase in the RAM for its upcoming iPhone 18 models, a departure from its long-standing conservative hardware strategy, driven by the integration of advanced artificial intelligence features.
Reports from South Korea indicate that standard iPhone 18 models could feature up to 12 GB of RAM. This potential upgrade is primarily attributed to the anticipated introduction of a more powerful, generative AI-enabled Siri.
Such AI tools demand greater processing power and memory to function effectively and without lag. For years, Apple has not publicly disclosed RAM specifications and maintained a cautious approach to memory allocation in its base iPhone models.
The iPhone 17, for instance, opted to double internal storage from 128 GB to 256 GB rather than increase its RAM to 12 GB. New reports suggest the iPhone 18, expected to launch in 2026, could mark a significant shift.
Industry leaks suggest Apple has requested Samsung to scale up supplies of LPDDR5X chips. These high-performance chips are currently manufactured only in 12 GB and 16 GB configurations.
This development presents two possible outcomes. One scenario suggests base models might retain 8 GB RAM but utilize the faster, more power-efficient LPDDR5X chips.
However, a more plausible scenario indicates standard iPhone models would receive 12 GB of RAM, with 16 GB reserved for the higher-end Pro and Pro Max variants.