Apple's standard iPhone 18 could feature 12GB of memory for the first time, according to analyst Dan Nystedt.
In a new post on X, Nystedt said that the standard iPhone 18 will match the 12GB of RAM Apple gave the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max last September. It would mark the first time the entry-level iPhone model has shipped with that much memory.
This rumor making the rounds again, add 12GB of RAM. https://t.co/vP14mEn5le — Dan Nystedt (@dnystedt) April 24, 2026
Nystedt also flagged an earlier rumor claiming that Apple has secured TSMC's first 2nm chip production run for the A20 chip set to power the iPhone 18 lineup. According to that report, TSMC's 2nm process delivers 15% better computing performance than 3nm, with no loss in power efficiency. The iPhone 17 series uses TSMC's N3P 3nm node.
The jump to 12GB of RAM on the base model is likely tied to Apple Intelligence. Apple is expected to introduce expanded AI features with iOS 27, which the company is set to announce at WWDC on June 8. On-device AI workloads are memory-intensive, and keeping the entry-level iPhone capable of running Apple Intelligence in full would give Apple reason to push the standard model's memory up to par with last year's Pro tier.
The iPhone 18 is not expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro this fall. Apple is reportedly planning to delay the standard model until early 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air, while the Pro models and the long-anticipated foldable iPhone will ship in the usual fall time frame.
