Apple To Ramp Up iPhone RAM... Next Year
Tim Hardwick
Apple, famously, doesn't tout specs. Except, of course, when they have the best specs, then they tout the hell out of them. Take Apple Silicon, for example. Seemingly every single event where a new chip is introduced now features as deep of a deep dive as one can go without drowning in technicalities. But you know what's still never touted? The amount of RAM in iPhone models.
Now it's not exactly a secret as it once was, in no small part thanks to the cottage industry of sites like iFixit that immediately obtain and tear down iPhones to see what they're made of, literally. But Apple still won't post it on their specs pages – even though they do now for the iPad (albeit a bit buried). Anyway, if Apple won't give us such information, at least leakers will:
Next year's iPhone 17 models will come with 12GB of RAM, up from the 8GB of RAM expected across Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 models, a reputable source of accurate predictions about Apple's plans has claimed.
And this actually now matters because:
Onboard memory in the existing iPhone 15 lineup is different between non-Pro and Pro models: The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus feature 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max come with 8GB of RAM. This difference is said to be the reason why Apple Intelligence – Apple's AI suite of on-device features – is only currently supported by the iPhone 15 Pro models.
To be clear, the models being announced on September 9, the iPhones 16, will feature 8GB of RAM. Both the "regular" and 'Pro' variants. But next year's devices, the iPhones 17, will up that to 12GB.1
Something else Apple doesn't want you to hear:
Since it is a requirement for Apple Intelligence, all four of Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 models are expected to feature 8GB of RAM, as is the rumored iPhone SE 4, which is likely to launch in the spring. However, in a Weibo post on Wednesday, Chinese-language user "Phone Chip Expert" said next year's iPhone 17 models will have 12GB of RAM for more advanced on-device AI applications.
"If you're planning to switch to an AI-powered iPhone, the iPhone 17 in 2025 might be a better choice," said the leaker. "This year's iPhone 16 only has 8GB of RAM, with most of the AI processing done in the cloud. Next year's iPhone 17 will have 12GB of RAM and more edge AI applications. This is something to consider for those with a limited budget who want to upgrade their iPhone."
Apple, of course, is hoping that the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features will lead to a wave of people upgrading their iPhones this year. The reality is that none of those features will actually launch with these new iPhones and will instead come in waves of software updates, starting in October and continuing well into next year – notably, much of the new Siri functionality. So yeah that notion, plus this news, would point to a situation where it probably makes sense for a lot of people to actually wait to upgrade their iPhones until next year.
Luckily for Apple, the masses still don't keep current on most Apple rumors. And again, the RAM element has always been intentionally obfuscated and since, one assumes, most people don't consider the iPhone to be "slow", they think they're fine in that regard. And they have been to date, thanks undoubtedly in part to Apple's wizardry in melding hardware and software. Said another way: they haven't needed the most amount of RAM in their devices. But AI may be changing that equation...
The new Pixel 9 devices all have either 12GB or 16GB of RAM this year. How do I know that, Google touts it, and did so on stage, no less – yes, as it's a position of strength. But they also undoubtedly know the RAM required to make AI really sing on these devices. Again, Apple may be able to better optimize here, but 8GB vs. 16GB is, well, half.2
All of this probably won't end up mattering too much this year for Apple because again, much of Apple Intelligence isn't actually launching this year! But next year...
Update August 29, 2024:
Eric Slivka
Let's hit pause on the notion that all iPhones will have their RAM upgraded next year:
Just a day after a noted leaker on Chinese microblogging site Weibo suggested the iPhone 17 lineup in 2025 could see an upgrade to 12GB of RAM across the board, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that the upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
If Kuo is correct, it means the smaller iPhone 17 Pro, the base iPhone 17, and the all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" will stick with the 8GB figure rumored for the entire iPhone 16 lineup this year. The fourth-generation iPhone SE expected in early 2025 will reportedly also carry 8GB of RAM.
This certainly makes more sense to me (per my original footnote below), especially given Apple's desire – and success – in upselling to the higher end (read: more expensive) iPhone Pro models. But again, Apple doesn't tout RAM in their iPhones – but might they next year if the Pro models truly do have more and it improves AI performance and/or capabilities? Hard to see Apple ever noting a software performance difference between two models they're currently selling, but again, maybe they tout that the Pro models can handle more AI on device thanks to more RAM or something?
1 As Hardwick note, there's some confusion as to whether or not all iPhone 17 models will get 12GB of RAM, as this new leak would seem to indicate, or if just certain flavors. In particular, it's not clear if an 'iPhone Air', aka the new, rumored 'Thin iPhone' would get 12GB as well or stick with 8GB given the likely smaller room for internals and battery. If that's the case, maybe I can hold out hope that the 'Pro' models get 16GB instead of 12GB? Keep pushing that premium!
2 Though it does seem like the amount of RAM actually available for apps to take advantage of is less -- because the on-device Gemini model eats up so much!