iPhone 18 is expected to be launched globally in 2027, months after the iPhone 18 Pro series debut.
iPhone 17 was launched in September 2025
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be launched this year in September, along with Apple's rumoured foldable handset. Unlike last year, the Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly planning to delay the launch of the standard iPhone 18 model to next year. However, leaks regarding the smartphone have been surfacing online for a while. The company recently held the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, during which it introduced the revamped Siri and new AI-powered features for its devices. However, some of the most advanced AI features will not run on devices with less than 12GB of RAM. An analyst now reportedly expects Apple to bring 12GB of RAM to the iPhone 18 to enable these AI functionalities.
Citing KB Securities analysts, DigiTimes Asia reports that Apple is expected to launch the entire iPhone 18 family with 12GB of RAM, including the standard iPhone 18 model. If this is true, it would allow Apple's most advanced AI foundational models to run on the smartphone, consequently widening the Siri AI adoption and increasing the demand for the upcoming iPhone 18 series handsets.
This comes at a time when prices of the DRAM and NAND sticks have increased exponentially, raising the costs of manufacturing smartphones. Contrary to the latest analyst expectations, a report recently highlighted that the tech giant is planning to unveil the rumoured iPhone 18 with various downgrades, including but not limited to manufacturing process, chipset specifications, and RAM, as part of Apple's cost-saving exercise.
As previously mentioned, the tech giant recently hosted its annual developers conference to introduce iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate for its phones, tablets, and Mac devices. The new OS versions are set to arrive with Apple's new AI foundation models and Siri AI.
While most AI features will be available on iPhone 15 Pro and later models, the company's most advanced AI features will not be available on handsets that feature RAM lower than 12GB. Hence, only the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air will be able to run Apple's most powerful on-device AI models that will enable two exclusive AI features for these models. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 17 ships with 8GB of RAM and will support the rest of Apple's Siri AI features, along with older supported models going back to the iPhone 15 Pro.
The company has also started rolling out the first developer beta of the iOS 27 update to allow app publishers to test the OS before it is released to a broader user base.
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