iPhone 18 Gets 12GB RAM Upgrade to Unlock Full Siri AI Features Without Price Increase

The iPhone 17 Can't Do This With Siri. The iPhone 18 Will

During WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that its most powerful on-device AI model is currently only compatible with the latest iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The reason for the device limitation is that the AI model requires 12GB of RAM to run, and only the above iPhones have that amount. Unfortunately, the iPhone 17 misses out because it has 8GB of RAM. That means iPhone 17 owners will not get two features that depend on the model: more expressive Siri voices and a major accuracy improvement for system-wide dictation. Everything else in iOS 27's Siri AI rollout - personal context, onscreen awareness, web answers, the dedicated Siri app, Visual Intelligence, and Writing Tools - runs on the broader Apple Intelligence device list. That list still includes iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 series, and iPhone 17. The 12GB requirement, in other words, does not refer to Siri AI wholesale, but improves how Siri sounds and how well it transcribes. Base iPhone 17 owners will still get the new chatbot-style assistant with iOS 27, they'll just get the older voices and a less precise dictation engine. That shouldn't be the case for the iPhone 18 when it arrives next year. Two separate reports out of Korea suggest the next-generation base model will feature 12GB of RAM, giving the device access to the full suite of Siri AI features. The latest report also claims that Apple will not increase the $799 starting price, and instead plans to absorb the higher memory costs in a bid to increase market share. The iPhone 18 is expected to arrive in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone Air 2 and the lower-cost iPhone 18e.

Crucial AI upgrade may be coming to the iPhone 18

Despite the significant RAM increase enabling full AI access, analysts predict the iPhone 18 will maintain its $799 starting price. In its WWDC26 keynote last week, Apple announced that several of Siri AI's most advanced features, including new, more expressive voices, would only be available on iPhones with at least 12GB of RAM. That's a requirement which includes the iPhone Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, but excludes (perhaps conveniently, from an upsell point of view) the extremely popular baseline iPhone 17, which only has 8GB. Apple fans who don't relish the prospect of spending $999 on their next phone will be pleased to hear that this segregation won't apply in the next generation. As well as the iPhone Ultra and 18 Pro/18 Pro Max, the vanilla iPhone 18 is expected to get an upgrade to 12GB as well. In a new report, KB Securities (via DigiTimes Asia) predicts that the entire iPhone 18 lineup will feature 12GB of RAM, and thus be able to run the full range of Siri AI features. The company will do this, analysts say, to increase adoption of Siri AI and encourage customers to buy new iPhones. Those who might not be prepared to buy an iPhone 18 Pro are more likely to stomach the cost of an iPhone 18. The report doesn't mention whether the 18e will get the same RAM upgrade. The price tag of that device, incidentally, is the subject of some more good news. Analysts further predict that the iPhone 18, despite the major spec bump and rising component costs thanks to the RAM shortage, will start at the same price point as its predecessor: $799. As with the compromises made by Apple to make the iPhone 16e Apple Intelligence-ready, the company wants as many users as possible to get access to its most advanced new AI tech. Still, the jump from 8GB to 12GB of RAM is a significant one, and (given that the jump from 6GB to 8GB happened as recently as the iPhone 16) may come slightly earlier than Apple would otherwise have wished. If the prediction is correct, there will be the same difference in RAM allocation between the iPhones 17 and 18 as there is between the iPhone 17 and iPhone XS. * iPhone X: 3GB * iPhone XS: 4GB * iPhone 11: 4GB * iPhone 12: 4GB * iPhone 13: 4GB * iPhone 14: 6GB * iPhone 15: 6GB * iPhone 16: 8GB * iPhone 17: 8GB * iPhone 18: 12GB (predicted) On the baseline iPhone, RAM increases have been limited to 1GB or 2GB at a time. But aside from the Siri AI factor, 12GB is the next logical step, as demonstrated by the Pro models: * iPhone 11 Pro: 4GB * iPhone 12 Pro: 6GB * iPhone 13 Pro: 6GB * iPhone 14 Pro: 6GB * iPhone 15 Pro: 8GB * iPhone 16 Pro: 8GB * iPhone 17 Pro: 12GB * iPhone 18 Pro: 12GB (predicted) The bad news for those who want to enjoy advanced Siri AI on a relatively affordable handset is that the iPhone 18 probably won't become available until the spring of 2027. Apple's (already widely rumored) plan to stagger the launches, with Pro models in the fall and the standard and e models in the following spring, appears to have been confirmed by Largan Precision chairman Lin En-ping, speaking at the company's annual shareholder meeting. A "major U.S. client" has pushed back the launch of a new model to Q1 2027, he said (via MacRumors), thereby affecting component procurement timelines. Apple wasn't mentioned by name, but few listeners could be in doubt what he meant by the remark. For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide.

iPhone 18 to Pack 12GB of RAM for Smarter Siri Features, No Price Bump

Next year's regular iPhone 18 will come with 12GB of RAM to support Apple's most powerful on-device AI model and related Siri features, according to South Korea's KB Securities (via DigiTimes). In its Siri AI announcement during WWDC 2026, Apple confirmed that its most powerful model enables more expressive Siri voices and major accuracy improvements for systemwide dictation. Both features require 12GB of unified memory. Among current iPhones, that limits the more powerful model to the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 17 misses out because it only has 8GB of RAM, but the same limitation isn't expected for the iPhone 18. Apple will boost memory for the base model to 12GB while keeping the iPhone's price unchanged, according to today's report. It's the second time we've heard that Apple is planning to ensure memory parity across its iPhone 18 lineup. Last October, Korea's The Bell said the iPhone 18 would have 50 percent more memory than its predecessor. Apple has apparently asked its RAM suppliers to increase its supply of LPDDR5X chips for the next iPhone lineup. KB Securities also noted that Apple will continue buying mobile DRAM from the world's three largest memory makers - Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron - at prices above market levels, and suggested the company will absorb the costs rather than pass them on to the consumer. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone are expected to launch in the fall of 2026, with the iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and iPhone 18e following in the first half of 2027.

Here's Why the iPhone 18 Could Ship With More RAM

Apple will roll out its most advanced AI features to the iPhone 17 Pro iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be launched this year in September, along with Apple's rumoured foldable handset. Unlike last year, the Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly planning to delay the launch of the standard iPhone 18 model to next year. However, leaks regarding the smartphone have been surfacing online for a while. The company recently held the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, during which it introduced the revamped Siri and new AI-powered features for its devices. However, some of the most advanced AI features will not run on devices with less than 12GB of RAM. An analyst now reportedly expects Apple to bring 12GB of RAM to the iPhone 18 to enable these AI functionalities. iPhone 18 Might Ship With 12GB of RAM to Enable Apple's New AI Features Citing KB Securities analysts, DigiTimes Asia reports that Apple is expected to launch the entire iPhone 18 family with 12GB of RAM, including the standard iPhone 18 model. If this is true, it would allow Apple's most advanced AI foundational models to run on the smartphone, consequently widening the Siri AI adoption and increasing the demand for the upcoming iPhone 18 series handsets. This comes at a time when prices of the DRAM and NAND sticks have increased exponentially, raising the costs of manufacturing smartphones. Contrary to the latest analyst expectations, a report recently highlighted that the tech giant is planning to unveil the rumoured iPhone 18 with various downgrades, including but not limited to manufacturing process, chipset specifications, and RAM, as part of Apple's cost-saving exercise. As previously mentioned, the tech giant recently hosted its annual developers conference to introduce iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate for its phones, tablets, and Mac devices. The new OS versions are set to arrive with Apple's new AI foundation models and Siri AI. While most AI features will be available on iPhone 15 Pro and later models, the company's most advanced AI features will not be available on handsets that feature RAM lower than 12GB. Hence, only the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air will be able to run Apple's most powerful on-device AI models that will enable two exclusive AI features for these models. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 17 ships with 8GB of RAM and will support the rest of Apple's Siri AI features, along with older supported models going back to the iPhone 15 Pro. The company has also started rolling out the first developer beta of the iOS 27 update to allow app publishers to test the OS before it is released to a broader user base.

Apple iPhone 18 to get 50% more RAM without price increase

Apple's next-generation iPhone 18 is expected to offer 50% more RAM and new AI capabilities while keeping the same starting price as the iPhone 17, according to reports. The standard 18, will reportedly come with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the 17, technology publication DigiTimes reported. Despite higher component costs, Apple is reportedly planning to keep pricing unchanged. The company is expected to absorb rising DRAM and NAND memory costs rather than pass them on to consumers, allowing the iPhone 18 to retain the same starting price of $799 as its predecessor. The additional memory is expected to support a new generation of Siri AI features powered by Apple's most advanced on-device language model, which reportedly requires at least 12GB of RAM. Tech site GSM Arena noted that these features are expected to arrive with iOS 27, but the 17, world's best-selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2026, may not support them because of its lower memory capacity. The move could help Apple strengthen the competitiveness of its entry-level flagship model against rival smartphone makers that have increasingly focused on AI-powered features. However, consumers may have to wait longer for the standard 18. The 18 Pro, Pro Max and a foldable model the iPhone Ultra are scheduled to debut in September 2026 while the standard 18, along with the Air 2 and 18e, is expected to follow in the first half of 2027, Mac Rumors reported.