We’re getting into that part of the year again, folks, with rumors, speculation, and supposed leaks surrounding the upcoming iPhone 18 popping up almost constantly. The latest industry whisper could be exactly what fans of gaming and Apple’s AI features want, though, with the suggestion that the iPhone 18 could pack 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB.
This new rumor is courtesy of analyst Jeff Pu, via 9to5Mac, who has a pretty solid track record when it comes to reporting on Apple products. Pu posits that not only is the iPhone 18 getting a jump from 8GB to 12GB of RAM, but the iPhone 18e is also getting a similar boost, though not quite as dramatic, from 8GB to 9GB. Given how instrumental RAM is in gaming performance, this upgrade should make it possible to run the best iPhone games, such as Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile, with higher settings than before.
The only caveat to this new information is that Pu also believes that we won’t be seeing the iPhone 18 and 18e for a while yet. A few industry sources have suggested that, for the first time, Apple is launching its Pro-series devices, including the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, in September, with the base model to follow in early 2027, alongside the cheaper iPhone 18e.
As we alluded to earlier, not only should the RAM boost offer higher-quality gameplay, but it should also make Apple Intelligence features more efficient. My only concern right now is the price, given the ongoing crisis surrounding RAM availability and pricing. With Apple recently boosting the prices of its Mac and iPad devices, and other big names such as Valve and Nintendo following suit with their own hardware, I think there’s some cause for concern, even if it is just speculation at the time of writing.
Given that there are still months until the anticipated launch, it’s still best to take the latest iPhone 18 rumors with a pinch of salt until we get confirmation from Apple itself. Still, there’s no doubt that this won’t be the last bit of speculation we see surrounding the iPhone 18 before we actually get our hands on the device to see whether it’s worthy of our guide to the best iPhones.
