Apple’s lower-end iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models will ship with 9GB of RAM when they launch in spring 2027, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This marks a significant reduction from earlier expectations and signals that the global memory chip shortage is forcing compromises on budget phones.
The 9GB configuration uses a different architecture than current iPhones: six dies of 1.5GB each instead of the four 2GB dies found in iPhone 17 models. This raises a critical question about which iOS 27 features will actually run on the base iPhone 18, since Apple has already set a 12GB RAM minimum for its most demanding Apple Intelligence capabilities and is not bringing those to the iPhone 17.
iOS 27 will bring tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence. My latest industry checks suggest Apple’s lower-end 1H27 iPhones, powered by the A20 chip, will move to 9GB DRAM (1.5GB × 6 dies), up from 8GB (2GB × 4 dies) in the current A19 models, to keep the system…
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) June 26, 2026
The shift reflects the ongoing memory chip crisis that has plagued manufacturers for months. Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed earlier that price increases were unavoidable citing what he described as a “hundred year flood” in the cost of memory and storage components. With that pressure mounting, Apple appears to have decided that 9GB is sufficient for the standard iPhone 18 while reserving the full 12GB allocation for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone launching this fall.
Apple’s decision to split the iPhone 18 generation into two distinct launch windows reflects the company’s effort to manage component availability while rolling out AI capabilities across the lineup. The Pro models arrive in fall 2026, followed by the standard models four to five months later in spring 2027. This staggered approach allows Apple to prioritize premium chips for higher-end devices first, then adjust specs for the budget tiers as supply conditions evolve.
The 9GB RAM decision creates an awkward middle ground. It exceeds the 8GB found in current iPhone 17 models, yet falls short of Apple’s stated 12GB requirement for advanced on-device AI processing. That gap suggests Apple either expects iOS 27 to support a two-tier system of AI features based on available RAM, or has engineered the A20 chip to run certain workloads more efficiently than the older A19. Without official confirmation from Apple, it remains unclear which iOS 27 capabilities will reach the base iPhone 18 and which will remain exclusive to Pro models.
Ming-Chi Kuo’s track record for accuracy on Apple supply chain decisions gives this report significant weight. His latest findings indicate Apple is willing to accept performance trade-offs on budget phones rather than delay launches or absorb the spiraling cost of additional memory chips.
