iPhone 18 and 18e: Mini RAM increase targeted
Siri AI with the largest models requires sufficient RAM. This will apparently not be the case for iPhone 18 and 18e.
The iPhone 17 will likely not get a successor until spring 2027, according to the rumor mill.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch / heise medien)
Anyone hoping that Apple's standard and entry-level iPhones would receive sufficient RAM for the latest local Siri AI models will likely be disappointed: according to an analyst report, Apple is only planning a minimal “bump” in main memory. According to the usually well-informed supply chain expert Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 18 and 18e – meaning both models that Apple apparently plans for spring 2027 – will not come with 12 GByte. Instead, Apple is opting for an “odd” RAM value.
Will the small RAM increase help?
As Kuo writes on X, the models will each receive 9 GByte of DRAM in the form of six 1.5 GByte dies. Currently, iPhone 17 and 17e come with 8 GByte, distributed across four 2 GByte dies. Kuo writes that the RAM increase in the upcoming A20 is intended to make the devices run better in AI workflows. However, it is questionable whether the additional 1 GByte will really be enough. Apple had announced that at least two new Siri AI functions will only run with 12 GByte of RAM, or currently with the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air.
Videos by heise
These include an improved voice output model that can be adjusted in terms of expressiveness and playback speed, a better local dictation function (likely also offline), and the best local AI model Apple currently offers, namely AFM 3 Core Advanced. It is not yet foreseeable whether Apple will manage to make these usable with 9 GByte RAM in the A20. However, the Vision Pro M2 also lacks these three features, even though it has 16 GByte of main memory. The omission here is not explained in detail but could be related to a poorer Neural Engine.
Pro models remain at 12 GByte
Kuo, who works for the analysis company TF International Securities based in Taiwan, expects no changes for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. With the A20 Pro, they will remain at 12 GByte RAM, distributed across eight dies of 1.5 GByte each. The A20 Pro is also expected to be included in Apple's first foldable, the “iPhone Ultra.”
According to rumors, Apple plans to slightly adjust its iPhone sales model. Thus, the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Ultra are expected to be released in September 2026, followed by the iPhone 18, 18e, and possibly a second Air model in spring 2027. This is how Apple intends to spread out its fiscal year, which is heavily focused on the fourth quarter.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
