Apple iPhone 17 to Introduce 12GB RAM, Boosting AI Capabilities Beyond iPhone 16's 8GB Limit

Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 models will reportedly include 12GB of RAM, a significant upgrade from the 8GB expected in the iPhone 16 series, enhancing AI capabilities on the device.

iPhone 17 to Feature 12GB RAM

A reliable source that consistently predicts Apple's plans has stated that the future iPhone 17 models would have 12GB of RAM, an increase over the 8GB of RAM predicted across all of Apple's iPhone 16 models.

According to MacRumors, the current iPhone 15 series features various onboard memory for non-Pro and Pro models: In terms of random access memory (RAM), the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus both have 6GB, whilst the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max both have 8GB.

So yet, only the iPhone 15 Pro versions are compatible with Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial intelligence suite of on-device services. This is supposedly due to this discrepancy.

All four of Apple's future iPhone 16 models, including the rumored iPhone SE 4 that could debut in the spring, are believed to come with 8GB of RAM, as it is a need for Apple Intelligence. Next year's iPhone 17 models will have 12GB of RAM for more advanced on-device AI applications, according to a Weibo post by a Chinese-language user as "Phone Chip Expert" on Wednesday.

"If you're planning to switch to an AI-powered iPhone, the iPhone 17 in 2025 might be a better choice," the leaker pointed out. "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."

AI Processing Enhanced by Edge AI

Edge AI applications eliminate the need for remote servers by performing AI processing locally on the device. Instead of processing data in a central location, like a cloud data center, "Edge" networks handle data locally, near the device itself, which is the data source.

There have been whispers about Apple's 2025 iPhones allegedly getting more RAM than before.

For the iPhone 17, as well as the anticipated iPhone 17 "Slim" or "Air" with a brand new design, will remain at 8GB of RAM, according to analyst Jeff Pu's May 2024 research note with investment firm Haitong. In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will come with 12GB of RAM.

iPhone 17 Models to Lead with 12GB RAM

Nevertheless, according to today's leaker, all iPhone 17 models will come with the extra RAM, continuing the lineup's AI capability.

Predictions made by the leaker known as "Phone Chip Expert" have historically come true. Phone Chip Expert broke the news first that the iPhone 7 would have water resistance and that the A15 Bionic chip would remain in the regular iPhone 14 models, with the more powerful A16 chip reserved for the Pro versions of the 14th generation.

Upon further review by several reputable sources, these predictions were validated, and the items' debut validated them.

"Phone Chip Expert" recently broke the news that Apple is working on an artificial intelligence server CPU using TSMC's 3nm process, with plans to begin commercial production in the second half of 2025.