Apple plans to give the standard iPhone 18 more memory. Reports suggest it will move from 8GB in the iPhone 17 to 12GB, putting it closer to the Pro and Air versions.
The Bell reports that Apple asked Samsung to increase its supply of LPDDR5X memory chips for the next iPhone lineup. Samsung only produces this high-speed memory in 12GB and 16GB sizes. That detail makes it likely that the base iPhone 18 will also start at 12GB.
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Bigger jump from iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 was the only 2025 model with 8GB of RAM. The Pro and Air versions both used 12GB, which helped Apple separate the lineup. Upgrading the base iPhone 18 to 12GB would close that gap and give all models similar performance for multitasking and AI features.
Samsung remains a key supplier for Apple. Since Samsung’s current memory production starts at 12GB, Apple could choose to align its base model with that capacity. The report adds that Apple is also talking to SK Hynix and Micron for additional supply. Apple could still source different configurations from these vendors, but using the same capacity across all models simplifies production.
The iPhone 18 also plans to use 6-channel LPDDR5X memory, which offers higher bandwidth. This upgrade should make everyday performance smoother and speed up demanding tasks like camera processing, gaming, and on-device AI.
The takeaway
Apple’s plan to move the base iPhone 18 to 12GB RAM looks realistic. The change fits both its supplier options and its push for faster, more capable devices in 2026.
As Samsung supplies only 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X modules, we may conjecture that higher end iPhone 16 Pro models may get 16GB RAM to differentiate the upper end the lower end. 16 GB memory also helps in running Apple Intelligence faster on Pro machines.