Apple iPhone 18 with 9 GB RAM omits two new iOS 27 features
According to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the more affordable Apple iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models will be equipped with 9GB of RAM, compared to 8GB in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e. In a social media post, Kuo explained that the 1GB increase in RAM will ensure that Apple’s Intelligence features continue to function smoothly on both devices.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra with 12 GB RAM
The higher-end models Apple iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra will all feature the same 12GB of RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro models, Kuo added. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra in September of this year, while the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are reportedly slated for release around March 2027.
Despite the increased RAM of 9GB, two new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27 will not be available on the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e: the ability to adjust Siri’s expressiveness and speaking rate, and significantly improved speech recognition accuracy. This is because the latest, advanced Apple Intelligence model that enables these two features requires at least 12GB of RAM.
Apple iPhone 17 RAM:
- iPhone 17e: 8 GB
- iPhone 17: 8 GB
- iPhone 17 Pro: 12 GB
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12 GB
Apple iPhone 18 and iPhone Ultra RAM:
- iPhone 18e: 9 GB
- iPhone 18: 9 GB
- iPhone 18 Pro: 12 GB
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 12 GB
- iPhone Ultra: 12 GB
The Apple iPhone Air 2 will probably also have 12 GB of RAM.
RAM and NAND memory chips are currently expensive due to supply shortages, which is why Apple raised prices on over a dozen products last month. So far, iPhones have been spared price increases, but analysts estimate that the Apple iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e could cost $100 to $200 more than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e.
