Apple to Standardize 12GB RAM for iPhone 18 AI

Apple Inc. plans to equip the entire iPhone 18 lineup with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, marking a 50% increase over the 8GB found in the standard iPhone 17. This upgrade allows the base model to support advanced on-device Siri AI features for the first time, including expressive voices and advanced dictation, which require a minimum of 12GB of unified memory.

Reports indicate Apple will maintain a $799 starting price for the base model by absorbing rising DRAM costs and negotiating lower prices for displays and cameras. To secure the necessary hardware, the company has requested increased shipments of RAM from Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron.

The release timeline for the series has shifted. While some reports suggest the standard iPhone 18 will arrive in early 2027 following Pro and foldable models in late 2026, other data suggests a broader delay. Lin En-ping, chairman of Largan Precision, confirmed that a major U.S. client pushed the launch of a new model to the first quarter of 2027, with some projections extending Pro model releases into late fall 2027.