Wesley Hilliard
Analyst Jeff Pu has shared once again that he expects both iPhone 17 Pro models to have 12GB of RAM, but more reliable sources say otherwise.
Rumors are ramping up for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, which is expected in September 2025. This time, it isn't about the controversial camera bar update, but instead about the included RAM.
According to an analyst note seen by 9to5Mac, Jeff Pu believes that both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have 12GB of RAM. Such an upgrade would contribute to more powerful AI features exclusive to those devices.
"Meanwhile iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to migrate to LPDDR5 12GB," Pu said in the note." This transition alone will contribute to a 3.5% YoY increase in smartphone DRAM content across an estimated 100 million new iPhone units."
Pu has said as much before, in May 2024. Except then, he was the only one saying it.
In August 2024, Ming-Chi Kuo shared that only the iPhone 17 Pro Max would get 12GB of RAM along with vapor chamber cooling. The other iPhone 17 models would get 8GB of RAM.
Given Kuo's history, he's probably right. Pu is at least in agreement about the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it is possible Apple would use the same amount of RAM in both Pro models.
So, this rumor is rated possible. We'll see what Kuo or another reliable leaker says about the RAM soon and if they are in agreement.
Pu's iPhone 17 predictions
Jeff Pu has been sharing a lot of details about the iPhone 17 lineup. Some have been already leaked information and others original.
- Titanium for iPhone 17 Slim, aluminum for iPhone 17 Pro — Unlikely
- iPhone 17 Slim will have a 6.6-inch display — Possible
- iPhone 17 Slim will be 6mm thin — Possible
- iPhone 17 models to get 24MP selfie camera — Possible
Pu gets ahold of some decent information from time to time, but his record of making accurate predictions with that information is spotty. He's missed on product timetables, prices, and offers very aggressive release windows.
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2 Comments
iPhone 16 (Normal) vs iPhone 16 Pro: There isn’t enough there to convince me to pay more for the Pro over the (Normal). The (Normal) seems like the better purchasing option for me.
If, however, the iPhone 17 (Normal) had 8GB of RAM while the iPhone 17 Pro had 12GB of RAM, that might be enough to convince me to pay up for the Pro.
However (second however): Limiting the 12GB of RAM only for the 17 Pro Max model would not convince me to buy the 17 Pro Max. And it’s not about the (presumed) price of the 17 Pro Max. It’s specifically about the (presumed) size of the 17 Pro Max. I don’t want to have to carry around that massive phone just to have more RAM.
Apple Intelligence requires at least 8GB RAM to be more usable but we all know that AI is doing terrible on RAM-limited devices. That's why Apple needs to build a lot of AI servers to deal with more requests from devices.