When it comes to the amount of RAM (which Apple refers to as “unified memory” in its A- and M-series chips) in Apple iPhones, iPads, and Macs, there has been a disconnect over what users want (more) and what Apple thinks you need (less). Apple has not changed its stance, but its own upcoming innovations are causing it to finally do what users demand.
Take, for example, a recent report on Weibo that comes from Taiwan. “Mobile Phone Expert,” who has made accurate reports in the past, said the iPhone 17 next year will have 12GB of RAM. That will be more than the current 8GB in the iPhone 15 Pros and the upcoming iPhone 16, which will be revealed at the Glowtime event on September 9. The reason for the increase: Apple Intelligence.
A separate report from Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the 12GB RAM upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max to power “enhanced on-device AI capabilities.”
As a general rule, AI is processor-intensive, causing many AI implementations to turn to the cloud. Apple, however, wants to perform as many of its Apple Intelligence features as it can on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac to maintain user privacy. That means it needs to configure its hardware to accommodate AI, which includes increasing the amount of RAM in its devices.
In its initial compatibility list for Apple Intelligence, Apple lists devices that all have at least 8GB of memory, which is the minimum needed to run the AI features. So why the boost to 12GB in the iPhone 17? Presumably, so that more on-device functions can be performed; an 8GB device would probably need to turn to the cloud for AI processing more frequently. Apple is gradually rolling out its first round of Apple Intelligence features over the next several months, so it’s safe to assume there will be a new raft of features unveiled for iOS 19 next year.
Rumor also has it that Apple is increasing the amount of RAM in the M4 for Macs, too. And the upcoming iPad mini will presumably get a boost to 8GB of RAM as well, twice the current model’s 4GB. On-device AI processing seems to be a top priority for Apple–it’s a key differentiator for its AI implementation over others. And thanks to AI, users may finally get what they wanted for a while.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.