iPhones in the future by Apple, whatever the case, will come with the hardware boost with more memory to be used with coprocessors.
Apple’s future iPhone models, widely speculated at the moment, will reportedly include significantly better hardware — most notably in memory capacity — to aid the growing functionality of Artificial Intelligence. How Industry Analysts Find a Way to Be Right: Focus on Heavy Lifting AI Performance Potential for The Entire iPhone Line-Up
The iPhone 17 Air will not only be thinner one of the standard iPhone 17 models but it may also inherit an important hardware component that is currently reserved for iPhone 17 Pro models. As per analyst Mr. Ming-Chi Kuo, based on the supply chain analysis, Apple will most likely offer 12GB EARAM in both the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro. Hardware wise, this bump up in memory is significant. Mr. Kuo indicated earlier that this increased memory would only take place on the very top-end model of the line-up, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, making it a clear hardware differentiator. AI capabilities on the iPhone are getting support from greater memory.
On the other hand, the base iPhone 17 could keep the same 8GB RAM setup offered with the current-gen iPhone 16 handset. At the same time, Mr. Kuo today has not ruled out an upgrade to 12GB of RAM for the base iPhone 17 as well. The analyst adds that “potential supply shortages” will help decide Apple’s final say on this hardware issue by next month. That means its AI functionality will quite literally operate in relation to memory.
At present, for example, all of Apple’s iPhone 16 series—the iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max—all have the same 8GB of RAM. That memory capacity has long been the baseline for driving Apple Intelligence features on iPhone and iPad, exemplifying the hardware/AI relationship. So, despite the fact that 8GB is only 2GB more than Apple has used in the past on its iPhones, the difference in RAM in fact introduces Apple Intelligence for models like the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which feature 8GB RAM, but not for models like the standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus, which have less memory. Hardware memory is key to get AI to perform as expected on iPhone.
Forward-looking, Kuo expects consistent hardware across the entire new iPhone 18 family due to arrive in late 2024, with all models getting 12GB of RAM. As features powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) become a more prominent theme in Apple’s iPhone marketing, an increasingly crucial piece of related hardware also looks to be more and more on-device memory for your iPhone. Designed at the speed of AI, the iPhone hardware is a moving target.
Apple having also financially encouraged an uptick in base RAM in its Mac computers–up from 8GB to 16GB last year compared–would appear to represent a company-wide approach to AI-related hardware and memory. Apple has only one iPad model with a RAM memory directly below 8GB: the entry-level iPad 11 at a price of $349, the non-Apple Intelligence supported also emphasizes the apple memory need for AI. Apple silicon is at the center of the iPhone’s AI tech.
iPhone 17 Air Ram Hardware Upgrade and How That Will Affect AI
If the 12GB RAM component is indeed confirmed for the iPhone 17 Air — and the new device is sufficiently better at patently performing AI — the less expensive model will be squarely aimed at matching hardware to software to a higher degree than before. This hypothetical hardware upgrade could add to the 8GB RAM found in the base model iPhone 16 and equip the iPhone 17 Air with additional memory for AI processes. Hardware For the iPhone 17 Air The design will inherently support AI effort — guided by AI and thus requiring AI as a part of the hardware.
iPhone 17 won’t move beyond 8GB RAM Hardware and AI Restriction
As of now, the iPhone 17 standard model is expected to keep the same 8GB RAM configuration used in the iPhone 16 lineup. It would also set apart the standard iPhone 17 from the expected 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 17 Air and Pro models and within the context of these features being memory hungry for higher levels of AI, this could limit the capabilities of memory enhanced, advanced AI features on the regular iPhone 17. Base iPhone 17 hardware might hamstring its AI capabilities.
Get ready for 12GB RAM hardware with iPhone 18 series to boost AI adoption
All models of next year’s iPhone 18 will be equipped with 12GB of RAM, analyst prediction. This hardware upgrade — at least the memory part — among the various model’s further cements Apple’s apparent future strategy for its iPhones, that is a transition to larger memory capacities that will accommodate AI. It said that iPhone 18 hardware will be tuned for AI
How AI Affects iPhone Memory Hardware Demand
The expected rise in RAM, the crucial hardware element, is driven by the accelerating adoption of Artificial Intelligence features in iPhones, the report claimed. Larger on-device memory is advantageous for many generative AI functionalities for fast processing and performance on iPhone. AI is forcing iPhone hardware requirements
Other Key Insights
This is a precedent that Apple has already set with Macs, which often come with higher base RAM than previously (and given Apple has recently bumped up base RAM in a lot of its Mac product lines, it is indicative how this could play out elsewhere, including the iPhone). Apple knows that modern apps and AI are taking up more memory than ever, which is what pushed the company to double its base RAM in its Macs to 16GB, and that also plays into memory hardware thoughts for the iPhone, too. AI requirements shape Apple’s approach to hardware memory.
