iPhone 18e – Apple’s lower-end iPhone 18 models, expected in spring 2027, are rumored to move from 8GB to 9GB of RAM, while iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to stay at 12GB—an approach analyst Ming-Chi Kuo links to smoother Apple Intelligence performance under heavier AI
For a moment, it sounds like a small bump—just 1GB more memory. But in Apple’s AI roadmap, that kind of increment can decide what a phone can do when the software gets ambitious.
Apple’s lower-end iPhone 18 models, expected to be announced in spring 2027, are rumored to come with 9GB of RAM for improved Apple Intelligence support, according to an analyst report.
The supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the lower-end lineup—likely the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e—will carry 1GB more RAM than the outgoing iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e.
Higher-end models are expected to hold the line. For the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Kuo expects 12GB of RAM. That matches the current iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Kuo’s report also drills down into the chips behind the change. In a post on the X social network. he says the spring iPhones will use A20 chips built with 1.5GB x 6 dies. That would be an upgrade from the 2GB x 4 dies used in the A19 models. Looking forward to the A20 Pro, Kuo expects 1.5GB x 8 dies—again arriving at 12GB.
Why add RAM to budget models at all? Kuo’s reasoning is blunt: the extra memory is intended to keep Apple Intelligence running smoothly under AI workloads. He frames the move as a practical requirement—“to keep the system running smoothly under AI workloads.”
The timing also matters. Apple announced iOS 27 during its WWDC event on June 8, 2026. The update is set to bring new AI features, including Siri AI, to iPhones this fall.
Kuo’s logic fits that release rhythm: Apple will want new hardware to handle iOS 27’s latest features without feeling strained.
But a gap remains—what, exactly, that extra 1GB would buy the spring iPhones when AI is running.
We already know that Siri AI can run on any device with 8GB of RAM. because iOS 27 and its new Apple Intelligence features are compatible with those devices. The wrinkle is the tier of AI that runs directly on the phone. Those on-device AI models are limited to the iPhone 17 Pro. the iPhone 17 Pro Max. and the iPhone Air thanks to 12GB of RAM.
It’s not clear whether an iPhone with 9GB of RAM—like the rumored iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e—would also be able to support those on-device models. The current boundary is known: iPhones with 8GB don’t, and iPhones with 12GB do. Where 9GB fits between those two figures is still unknown.
If the expectations play out, Apple will announce the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside the iPhone Ultra this fall. Then, the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e would debut in spring 2027.
In other words, the question isn’t only whether the iPhone 18e gets more RAM. It’s what kind of AI experience that extra memory enables—and whether it’s enough to move a “budget” device closer to the capabilities currently reserved for 12GB iPhones.
iPhone 18 iPhone 18e RAM Apple Intelligence Siri AI iOS 27 A20 chip Ming-Chi Kuo on-device AI WWDC 2026