Apple iPhone 18 tipped to get major AI-focused RAM upgrade: Report

Apple iPhone 18 may receive a major memory upgrade while keeping its starting price unchanged, according to a new report from DigiTimes citing information from South Korea's KB Securities.

The report claims Apple plans to increase RAM on the standard iPhone 18 from 8GB to 12GB, bringing it in line with the company's more expensive models. The additional memory is expected to support Apple's latest on-device artificial intelligence features and future Siri upgrades. Despite higher component costs, the report says Apple may absorb the increase rather than pass it on to customers, allowing the phone to retain its current starting price.

Apple iPhone 18 RAM upgrade linked to Apple AI plans

According to the report, Apple plans to equip the entire iPhone 18 lineup with 12GB of RAM. The move is said to be connected to the company's growing focus on artificial intelligence. During WWDC 2026, Apple said its most advanced on-device AI model requires 12GB of unified memory. The company also demonstrated new Siri capabilities and improvements to dictation powered by the upgraded AI model.Currently, only the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max meet that memory requirement.

The standard iPhone 17 comes with 8GB of RAM.An earlier report from Korean publication The Bell also suggested that the iPhone 18 would receive a 50% increase in memory compared to its predecessor.

Apple iPhone 18 price may remain unchanged

The report further claims Apple may keep the iPhone 18's starting price at $799 despite the memory increase. According to KB Securities, Apple has asked memory suppliers Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron to increase shipments of LPDDR5X RAM chips.

The company is reportedly willing to absorb the higher costs instead of raising prices.The current iPhone 17 starts at Rs 82,900 in India. If Apple maintains the same starting price for the iPhone 18, it would stand out in a smartphone market where many brands have recently increased prices due to rising component costs, tariffs and growing investments in AI hardware.In another report, the iPhone 18 is not expected to launch until 2027. Apple is said to first introduce the iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable iPhone in late 2026, followed by the standard iPhone 18 lineup in the first half of 2027.