iPhone 18, iPhone 18e RAM upgrade tipped by Apple analyst, but it’s not what you think

Following the confirmation of a price increase for the iPhone 18 phones and other Apple devices, some new information about the lower-end offerings has come to light. A well-known analyst has claimed that the Cupertino giant will be using a different configuration of memory dies to enable the new AI features.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X information citing industry sources about the new RAM setup for the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e. Kuo claims the phones will come with 9 GB of RAM, instead of 8 GB. This will be due to the new 1.5 GB x 6 die setup rather than the traditional 2 GB x 4 dies. This is being done to “keep the system running smoothly under AI workloads.”

As to how this 1 GB increase in RAM will help with AI workflows remains to be seen. iPhone 18 Pro (Max) and iPhone Ultra are said to come with 12 GB (1.5 GB x 8 dies) of RAM, which is supposedly the minimum requirement for running all the new features enabled by the revamped Siri AI. Because of this limitation, the iPhone 17 will miss out on some of the new features. With 9 GB RAM in the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, it is still uncertain if they will be capable enough, even though they will likely be powered by the A20 chip.

Interestingly, a report from earlier this month stated that Apple will be increasing the RAM in the iPhone 18 to 12 GB, putting it on par with the Pro and Pro Max models. It also claimed that the prices will remain the same as the 256 GB iPhone 17. This seems highly unlikely now that Tim Cook has pretty much confirmed a price increase and a more recent report put the iPhone 18 Pro at nearly $1,400.