Base iPhone 18 finally catches up on RAM
Apple ‘s base iPhone 18 could ship with 12GB of RAM rather than the 9GB that earlier leaks suggested, according to a fresh research note from analyst Jeff Pu. That would be a 50% jump over the 8GB in the iPhone 17, and it would put the cheapest full-fat iPhone on level terms with the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 11, both of which start at 12GB and 256GB.
Pu’s note contradicts Ming-Chi Kuo, who said last month that both the iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e would settle at 9GB. Kuo had even described the memory layout in detail—1.5GB across six dies, replacing the 2GB across four dies used on A19 phones. Both the 18 and the 18e are expected to run Apple’s A20 chip. Apple has spent two years promising a rebuilt Siri, and iOS 27 is where the tighter Apple Intelligence integration finally lands. On-device models are memory-hungry, and Apple is reportedly planning to charge for heavy Siri use—which makes leaving any 2027 iPhone short on RAM an awkward proposition. Pegatron executives confirmed on a recent earnings call, per an Economic Daily News report, that the base iPhone 18 slips to the first quarter of 2027, alongside the 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air.
Pu’s read is that 9GB is meant for the 18e alone. None of this arrives in September. Only the Pro models and the rumoured foldable iPhone Ultra come this autumn. Pegatron’s own explanation was blunt: memory and chip shortages are reshaping shipping peaks, and Apple is prioritising the phones with the fatter margins.