Apple Confirms 8GB RAM for All iPhone 16 Models, Boosting AI and Gaming Capabilities

iPhone 16 series secret revealed: Apple confirms iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max have this much RAM

The iPhone 16 ships with more RAM than iPhone 15 to support Apple Intelligence. Apple historically has never revealed a couple of hardware details like for instance the exact amount of RAM or the battery capacity of new iPhones at launch. It is only once these devices start arriving in the hands of reviewers and customers that you come to know, oh, so and so iPhone has this much amount of RAM, or that it has that big of a battery. Things are a bit different with this year's iPhone 16 series, though. For the first time ever, Apple has come out and officially confirmed that the entire iPhone 16 lineup -- including the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max -- comes packing 8GB of RAM. This major upgrade, which applies to even the base models, was confirmed by Johny Srouji, Apple's VP of hardware technology, in an interview with Geekerwan. Apple Intelligence AI is a key USP of the new iPhones. The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will also support it, but not the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. This is because the 15 and 15 Plus have only 6GB of RAM which appears to be a big bottleneck for running Apple Intelligence features. The Apple Intelligence roll out will only start in October with iOS 18.1 update though. All the iPhone 16 series devices will ship with iOS 18 from September 20. Prior to this confirmation, Apple had kept details about the iPhone 16's RAM under wraps. However, MacRumors previously uncovered references to the 8GB RAM in Xcode after the phones were announced. Apple's decision to increase RAM aligns with the industry trend, as several other manufacturers are also boosting RAM to support AI-driven functionalities. Google recently launched the Pixel 9 series devices with even more RAM -- 16GB -- which is twice of what was available on the Pixel 8.

Apple confirms every iPhone 16 model comes with 8GB of RAM inside - matching the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

Nearly a week after the grand unveiling of the iPhone 16 series, Apple has finally confirmed one of the key specs for these new flagship phones: all of the models in the range are fitted with 8GB of RAM. As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple executive Johny Srouji confirmed the 8GB amount in an interview with Geekerwan. Apple doesn't include RAM in the official spec sheets for its iPhones, for whatever reason, so some detective work is usually required to establish how much memory these handsets have inside. The lack of a RAM boost is a little disappointing, especially considering Apple Intelligence is on the verge of rolling out: AI tasks take up a lot of memory, especially when the processing is done on device, so extra RAM definitely helps there. It also means Apple's phones are well behind their Android competitors when it comes to this particular spec. The newly launched Google Pixel 9, for example, is fitted with 12GB of RAM, and while the Samsung Galaxy S24 has 8GB of RAM inside, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ups that to 12GB. However, these raw specs don't necessarily tell the whole story: as Apple has full control over every part of the iPhone design and architecture, it's often able to add optimizations and tweaks that make up for lower-level specs. Battery capacity is another example of this - iPhones can often match their rivals on battery life, even with smaller batteries.

Apple Exec Confirms All iPhone 16 Models Will Have 8GB of RAM

During the keynote presentation for the iPhone 16 lineup last week, Apple revealed each new model has been built for Apple Intelligence from the ground up. And to ensure Apple's AI features run smoothly, all iPhone 16 models will be equipped with 8GB of RAM, confirmed Johny Srouji, Apple's SVP of hardware technologies. In a recent interview with Geekerwan, spotted by 9to5Mac, Srouji explains that Apple wants its upcoming Apple Intelligence on all iPhone 16 models -- and it was time for a performance upgrade overall. "We look at different configurations, both for computation and memory bandwidth and memory capacity. And then we make the right trade-off and balance of what actually makes the most sense. So, Apple Intelligence was a major feature that led us to believe that we need to get to 8GB," Srouji said. This is the first time Apple is offering 8GB of RAM for base models. Last year's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models have 8GB of RAM. This difference could be the reason why only the iPhone 15 Pro variants will run Apple Intelligence, which is expected to roll out next month with iOS 18.1. Srouji also mentioned that the 8GB of RAM will enable all iPhone 16 models to run high-end AAA games, which was limited to the 15 Pro models last year. "The 8GB is going to help immensely among other applications, including gaming," Srouji said. Apple's spec bump shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering the company's reported desire to sell 90 million iPhone 16 units by the end of this year. The iPhone 16 series is currently available for preorder, with an official launch date of Sept. 20.

Apple confirms 8GB RAM in iPhone 16, 16 Plus for Apple Intelligence, gaming

Apple has confirmed that the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are equipped with 8GB RAM, an upgrade from the 6GB RAM in last year's base models. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, confirmed this in an interview with Chinese YouTube creator Geekerwan. Srouji explained that the increase to 8GB RAM was driven by the need to support Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of artificial intelligence features. "We have extensive data on what enables certain features, and Apple Intelligence is a crucial feature that we wanted to support," Srouji said. "We evaluate different configurations for computation, memory bandwidth, and capacity to ensure the best performance. Apple Intelligence was a key factor in our decision to increase the RAM to 8GB."

Apple clarifies how much RAM does your iPhone need to run Apple Intelligence

Apple recently shed light on the hardware requirements necessary for running its new Apple Intelligence features, confirming that the iPhone 16 lineup comes equipped with 8GB of RAM. This marks a significant shift for the company, as previous iPhone models, like the iPhone 15, fell short of this specification, leaving many wondering what prompted this increase. In an interview with Geekerwan, Apple's VP of hardware technology, Johny Srouji, explained that the move to 8GB of RAM was driven by the need to deliver Apple Intelligence -- a new AI-powered feature set -- without compromising performance. Srouji noted that "DRAM is one aspect" of the decision, pointing out that the additional memory was essential to efficiently handle AI workloads, as well as enhancing high-end gaming experiences. Apple Intelligence, set to debut with iOS 18, brings powerful new capabilities like enhanced writing tools, smart replies, and image generation, all processed on-device. To handle the complexity of these AI tasks, iPhones need significantly more RAM than ever before. According to Srouji, 8GB was identified as the sweet spot that allows Apple Intelligence to run smoothly without overwhelming the device's performance or battery life. Apple's decision to equip the entire iPhone 16 lineup, from the base model to the 16 Pro Max, with 8GB of RAM signals just how central AI is to its future vision for iPhones. Notably, Apple has confirmed that iPhone 15 models, which only feature 6GB of RAM, will not support Apple Intelligence. While these devices will still receive iOS 18, they won't benefit from the AI features that have been touted as a major innovation in the iPhone 16 series. This leaves iPhone 15 Pro owners in an awkward spot -- close to the cutting edge, but just shy of the full benefits that Apple Intelligence offers. Apple isn't alone in ramping up its RAM capacity to support artificial intelligence; other tech giants have made similar moves as AI becomes increasingly integrated into consumer devices. However, Apple's focus on delivering these capabilities with on-device processing makes the additional RAM even more crucial. As Srouji emphasized, tasks like real-time image and video processing, alongside AI-powered features, require the type of memory boost that only 8GB can deliver. With the iPhone 16 lineup's hardware now better equipped to handle AI, Apple is laying the groundwork for a future where artificial intelligence is at the forefront of mobile technology. By clarifying the necessity of 8GB of RAM, Apple has not only set the bar higher for its devices but also given a glimpse into its long-term strategy, where performance and innovation go hand-in-hand.