The next-generation standard iPhone 18 is expected to have a 12GB memory upgrade. (Photo/Reuters)
The basic model iPhone 17 launched by Apple last year has been praised by many Apple fans as the standard iPhone with the “highest value for money in recent years” due to its leaps in specifications. It is even more popular than previous generations. However, the latest news points out that the next generation iPhone 18 may be more “worth buying.”
Although current rumors indicate that the overall improvement of iPhone 18 may not be large, there is a “key upgrade” that directly hits the pain point. The memory is expected to be increased from the current 8GB to 12GB in one fell swoop.
The most powerful device model is limited to 12GB of memory
Regarding the memory upgrade of iPhone 18, the outside world believes that Apple has “hinted”. Apple announced the new generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI at this week’s WWDC 2026 Developer Conference. It mentioned that the most powerful device model that drives some advanced functions has a hardware limit of at least 12GB of memory. Current models are only fully supported by the iPhone 17 Pro series and iPhone Air. The iPhone 17 is excluded because it only carries 8GB of memory.
This does not mean that the iPhone 17 cannot use new AI features, but some more advanced features are affected, such as Siri custom voices, more accurate dictation recognition, etc.
Upgrading memory may cause downgrade of panel
Therefore, there are rumors in the market that Apple will increase the memory of iPhone 18 to 12GB to unlock a more complete AI experience and ensure that the AI functions in the next few years can operate smoothly. Another source pointed out that if Apple decides to upgrade memory, in order to control costs, it may compromise and downgrade the OLED panel level, but for most consumers, the difference in usage may not be felt.
However, there is also another school of thought that does not rule out Apple adopting an “AI grading” strategy and reserving the most advanced AI functions for flagship models to further differentiate product positioning.
It is worth noting that all news at this stage comes from speculation from all walks of life, and the final answer has yet to be announced by Apple. However, the iPhone 18 may not be launched until next spring. It is reported that Apple will focus on the iPhone 18 Pro series and folding iPhone in September this year.
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