Apple’s standard iPhone 18 could receive a significant memory upgrade as a new report claims the handset will feature 12GB of RAM to support future Siri and Apple Intelligence features better.
According to a DigiTimes report citing KB Securities, Apple plans to equip the iPhone 18 with 12GB of memory at launch. If accurate, that would represent a 50% increase over the 8GB expected in the iPhone 17. This upgrade would also bring the standard model in line with the iPhone 17 Pro.
The move appears to be less about raw performance and more about AI. During WWDC, Apple revealed that its most advanced on-device Apple Intelligence models would require devices with at least 12GB of memory. Those capabilities are expected to be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air. Both of these models feature 12GB of RAM.
Apple has also confirmed that the same AI models will run on iPads equipped with the M4 chip or newer. They will also run on Macs powered by M3 silicon and above. In each case, the company specifically highlighted the need for 12GB of memory or more.
That makes the reported upgrade for the iPhone 18 easier to understand. If Apple wants its next-generation iPhone to fully support the best version of Siri and future Apple Intelligence features, increasing the available memory may be essential.
The report also claims Apple has been discussing increased production of LPDDR5X memory with suppliers to support future iPhone models. Despite ongoing pressure on memory prices, the company is reportedly prepared to absorb the additional cost rather than pass it on to customers.
The iPhone 18 is expected to arrive in spring 2027, several months after the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro. While Apple has yet to confirm any specifications, the latest report suggests AI could play a major role in shaping the hardware requirements of its future iPhones.
If the rumour proves accurate, the iPhone 18 may not look dramatically different from its predecessor. However, it could be far more capable when it comes to Apple’s next generation of AI-powered features.
