iPhone 16 Rumors: Why You Might Want to Wait for the iPhone 17

Considering an upgrade to the iPhone 16? This rumor may get you to skip it

If the iPhone 17 gets this rumored upgrade, it's worth waiting for Apple hasn't yet launched its iPhone 16 series -- though that'll happen in just a few weeks -- and it's already looking like it might be worth waiting for the iPhone 17 series to debut in 2025 before you upgrade. According to a fairly reliable leaker on Weibo, whose username translates from Chinese to 'Mobile phone chip expert,' the iPhone 17 will come with 12GB of RAM and more robust Apple Intelligence improvements. That's a 50% increase compared to the iPhone 16's rumored 8GB of RAM, which would finally bring iPhones in line with many modern Android flagships. The leaker notes that the iPhone 16 will primarily use cloud AI, so perhaps the Apple Intelligence improvements will include a significant move from cloud to on-device processing. With more RAM and stronger AI capabilities, the iPhone 16 might be worth skipping -- here's why. A point of contention for Apple fans has always been memory, for iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Apple has always been slow to implement increased RAM in its devices. The first iPhones to have 6GB of RAM were the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max in 2020. For comparison, the Google Pixel 5 released in the same year featured 8GB of RAM. Apple finally bumped the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max to 8 GB of RAM -- the only iPhones currently capable of utilizing upcoming Apple Intelligence features. If 8GB of RAM is required for the first round of Apple Intelligence features via cloud processing, seeing the iPhone 17 series debut 12GB of RAM for perhaps more advanced on-device AI processing isn't that far-fetched. However, it seems like only the more premium iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max might get the 12GB RAM treatment, if history is any indicator. Compare this to Google's Pixel 9 series that just released, and even the rumored iPhone 17 still pales in comparison. The Pixel 9 features 12GB of RAM, while the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL feature a whopping 16GB of RAM (and many fully on-device features). For those who want to use Apple Intelligence features fully with the security of on-device processing, there's a strong chance that the iPhone 17 series in 2025 is worth waiting for. Particuarly if you currently own an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max. Plus, more RAM in your phone translates to a smoother overall experience, with speedier in-app actions and transitions between apps. And who doesn't want that? Check out Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event scheduled for September 9 to see the iPhone 16 series (and other Apple devices) make its official debut, hopefully with 8GB of RAM as a base.

The iPhone 16 Isn’t Out Yet, and There’s Already a Reason to Wait for the iPhone 17

The iPhone 16 has yet to be announced, and already, the rumor mill suggests waiting a generation before upgrading. Apple doesn't usually advertise the amount of memory it's plopping into its new iPhones. But this latest rumor-mongering suggests skipping the iPhone 16 and waiting a generation for the iPhone 17 might be worth it if you're feeling jealous over the Pixel 9/9 Pro's memory configuration. This year's Google Pixel devices come with 12GB and 16GB between the entry-level and Pro models, respectively. Apple is rumored to follow suit with more RAM in next year's iPhone release. I'm not sure who the tyrants this post refers to are, though everything else I'm reading here makes sense. Google bumped up this year's memory offerings in its Pixel flagships because AI is the name of the game. And it's easy to believe that Apple would follow suit in this manner since it's about a year behind the rest of the industry in hopping on the AI bandwagon. As I said, the annoying part is that Apple doesn't immediately advertise how much memory is inside its devices the way the Android world does. In fact, I don't even find out until an Apple blog helps reveal it. The current iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max has 8GB of RAM for high-resource processing, which is four less than what the base-model Pixel 9 offers. Apple's hardware runs differently, though, and since it owns everything it programs, it's tweaked for memory management a little differently than Android phones. Still, with Google bumping up its entire lineup by 4GB, Apple might consider doing the same, especially as it moves more of Apple Intelligence onto devices. Apple Intelligence is still a burgeoning concept among users in the walled garden. None of the features are live yet, as we expect them to debut formally with the launch of the iPhone 16. Apple Intelligence is not even available in the public iOS 18 beta. We know that Apple will take a hybrid approach to Apple Intelligence, where some processing is done on-device, and the rest pings the cloud. We also know that Apple is heavily touting the privacy and security of its Private Cloud Compute (PCC) servers. We'll find out more soon. Apple will announce the iPhone 16 on Sept. 9 at its Glowtime event.

The iPhone 16 just got less exciting | Digital Trends

We've been heavily focused on gleaning every detail we can about the upcoming iPhone 16, but now a detail has emerged that we weren't expecting: another rumor about the iPhone 17. This isn't the first leak we've seen about next year's model, but it adds to the allure. According to leaker "Mobile phone chip expert" on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the iPhone 17 will be released with a whopping 12GB of RAM versus the 8GB that will likely come with the iPhone 16. They go so far as to suggest holding out until the iPhone 17 if you want to make the most of the built-in AI features Apple has promised. Recommended Videos Of course, take this news with a big spoonful of salt. Pondering iPhone 17 rumors before the 16 even launches is putting the cart before the horse, but "Mobile phone chip expert" has a reliable (if small) track record when it comes to leaks. This user was the first to reveal the processors in the iPhone 14 Pro models and that Apple was making its own nanometer chips for AI servers. So why does this matter? RAM acts as "temporary" storage on your phone versus the "permanent" storage on your SSD. Your phone (and your computer, too) uses RAM to store things needed for any currently running applications. More RAM means the device will be better at multitasking and will supposedly make it easier to add on-device AI features. Sure, we're a long way off from the launch of the iPhone 17, but it's interesting to consider what improvements might be made from the existing generation and what sort of feedback users will have after getting their hands on the iPhone 16 lineup. This single rumor also doesn't mean you should ignore the iPhone 16, but if you're thinking about upgrading in the next year or two, this could give you some reason to hold out for a little while longer.