The additional RAM could help deliver smoother performance as iOS 27 introduces tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence.
The iPhone 17 (pictured) is equipped with 8GB of RAM
The iPhone 18 series is expected to launch later this year, and rumours so far suggest the lineup could include the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra. Meanwhile, the vanilla iPhone 18 is slated to debut next year. According to an analyst, the standard model will receive a modest RAM upgrade over the current iPhone 17 to support Apple Intelligence features better. More RAM is expected on the iPhone 18e, too.
In a post on X, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple's lower-end iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models will arrive with 9GB of RAM. If accurate, it would be an increase from the 8GB memory that is available on the current iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e.
iOS 27 will bring tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence. My latest industry checks suggest Apple's lower-end 1H27 iPhones, powered by the A20 chip, will move to 9GB DRAM (1.5GB × 6 dies), up from 8GB (2GB × 4 dies) in the current A19 models, to keep the system…
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) June 26, 2026According to the analyst, the additional memory is likely to help deliver smoother performance as iOS 27 introduces tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence. Citing the latest supply chain checks, Kuo stated that the two handsets, expected to be powered by Apple's A20 chip, will adopt a 9GB DRAM configuration to handle on-device AI workloads better.
The analyst added that the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the rumoured iPhone Ultra foldable will continue to feature 12GB of RAM, matching the memory configuration expected on the iPhone 17 Pro models. The second-generation iPhone Air is also expected to retain 12GB of RAM.
Despite the RAM bump, however, the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are reportedly expected to miss out on two advanced Apple Intelligence features that Apple announced when previewing iOS 27 at WWDC.
These include the ability to customise Siri's voice expressiveness and speaking pace, as well as a more accurate on-device speech-to-text dictation system. Apple has explicitly confirmed that both features require at least 12GB of RAM, which is likely to make them exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone 18 Ultra. Rumours have also suggested that the iPhone Air successor could also get 12GB of RAM, which would make it compatible with the advanced Apple Intelligence features, too.
The latest claim corroborates an earlier report from the same analyst, who previously suggested that Apple would increase the RAM on its entry-level iPhone 18 models to improve AI performance. Apple is expected to introduce the Pro models and foldable iPhone around September, while the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and second-generation iPhone Air are tipped to debut around March 2027.
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