iPhone 18 series could feature up to 16GB RAM: Report
What's the story
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 series could get a major memory upgrade, The Bell reported. The tech giant is said to be working on boosting the RAM of all models in the new lineup by as much as 50% over current models. This would mean that every variant of the iPhone 18 series could come with at least 12GB of RAM, and possibly even up to 16GB in some high-end versions.
Strategy shift
Current iPhone Pro lineup has 12GB RAM
The current iPhone lineup, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, comes with 12GB of RAM. This is a major upgrade from the previous generation's 8GB. The upgrade was mainly due to the increasing hardware needs of on-device AI features. However, the standard iPhone 17 still has only 8GB of RAM, creating a disparity between base and Pro models.
Supplier negotiations
Apple asks Samsung to ramp up LPDDR5X chip production
To meet demand for iPhone 18 models, Apple has reportedly asked its main RAM supplier, Samsung, to increase production of LPDDR5X chips. These modules were launched in 2024 and are currently available in 12GB and 16GB variants. The move indicates that the tech giant may soon phase out the 8GB RAM model. Apple is also said to be in talks with SK Hynix and Micron for extra memory supplies ahead of mass production.
Future prospects
iPhone Air, foldable iPhones expected in late 2026
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone in late 2026. The company will then unveil the standard iPhone 18 and an affordable variant called the iPhone 18e in early 2027. These plans indicate a major shift in Apple's strategy as it seeks to standardize RAM across all models of its next-generation smartphone lineup.