Next year's regular iPhone 18 will come with 12GB of RAM to support Apple's most powerful on-device AI model and related Siri features, according to South Korea's KB Securities (via DigiTimes).
In its Siri AI announcement during WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that its most powerful model enables more expressive Siri voices and major accuracy improvements for systemwide dictation. Both features require 12GB of unified memory.
Among current iPhones, that limits the more powerful model to the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The iPhone 17 misses out because it only has 8GB of RAM, but the same limitation isn't expected for the iPhone 18. Apple will boost memory for the base model to 12GB while keeping the iPhone's price unchanged, according to today's report.
It's the second time we've heard that Apple is planning to ensure memory parity across its iPhone 18 lineup. Last October, Korea's The Bell said the iPhone 18 would have 50 percent more memory than its predecessor.
Apple has apparently asked its RAM suppliers to increase its supply of LPDDR5X chips for the next iPhone lineup. KB Securities also noted that Apple will continue buying mobile DRAM from the world's three largest memory makers – Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron – at prices above market levels, and suggested the company will absorb the costs rather than pass them on to the consumer. If so, the existing $799 starting price should remain in place.
The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone are expected to launch in the fall of 2026, with the iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and iPhone 18e following in the first half of 2027.
