Apple’s base iPhone 18 is expected to arrive in early 2027 with two upgrades normally associated with Apple’s Pro models, including more memory and a redesigned Dynamic Island. The phone will reportedly launch several months after the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, as Apple prepares to split its flagship releases across different parts of the year.
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra at its September event, while the standard iPhone 18 will reportedly arrive alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 in early 2027.
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iPhone 18 could jump to 12GB of RAM
Analyst Jeff Pu says the iPhone 18 will include 12GB of RAM, increasing from the 8GB expected in the iPhone 17. The additional memory would give Apple more room for Apple Intelligence features, multitasking, and future software updates.
Pu also expects the cheaper iPhone 18e to ship with 9GB of RAM, even though both phones are expected to use Apple’s A20 chip.
Ming-Chi Kuo previously reported that the standard iPhone 18 would include 9GB of RAM, so analyst expectations remain divided ahead of production.
The iPhone 18 is also expected to adopt the smaller Dynamic Island design that Apple plans to introduce first with the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Apple previously waited one generation before bringing the original Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro to the standard iPhone 15, but the company reportedly plans to move faster this time.
If Pu’s information proves accurate, the base iPhone 18 will receive two meaningful hardware upgrades when it launches in early 2027, narrowing another part of the gap between Apple’s standard and Pro iPhones.
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