18/06/2026
12GB RAM. That's the number Apple is reportedly bringing to the standard iPhone 18 next year — a 50% jump from the 8GB found in the iPhone 17.
According to Korea's KB Securities, the reason is simple: AI.
At WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that its most advanced on-device AI model — the one powering a more natural Siri voice and improving system-wide speech recognition and transcription accuracy — requires 12GB of unified memory to run. With only 8GB of RAM, the iPhone 17 misses out on these features. The iPhone 18, however, would be fully equipped.
What stands out even more is the pricing. Reports suggest Apple plans to keep the iPhone 18's starting price at $799, despite rising DRAM costs. Instead of passing those costs on to customers, Apple is reportedly absorbing the increase themselves. In a market where almost everything is getting more expensive, a major hardware upgrade without a price hike is becoming increasingly rare.
One thing to keep in mind: some sources believe the standard iPhone 18 could be delayed until the first half of 2027, so don't expect to get your hands on it this fall.
Would 12GB of RAM be enough to convince you to upgrade, or is 8GB still more than enough for your daily use?
