The standard model of iPhone 18 could have 50% more memory than the iPhone 17, a report claims, but in a change that may be driven by manufacturing limitations.
The iPhone 17 is the sole outlier of the 2025 iPhone releases in having only 8GB of memory. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air all have a larger 12GB of memory to play with, leaving the standard model behind.
However, according to a Saturday report from Korean publication The Bell, that probably won't be the case for the iPhone 18. Instead, the standard model for 2026 is believed to ship with the bigger 12GB capacity.
Apple has asked Samsung to increase its order of LPDDR5X memory chips for use in the next iPhone generation, the report was informed. This is not unusual until you consider Samsung's high-speed LPDDR5X memory is only produced in 12GB and 16GB capacities.
Based on Samsung's stature inside Apple's supply chain, a move to 12GB for the base iPhone seems plausible. However, there is still a possibility of it not happening.
The report adds that Apple is also in talks to SK Hynix and Micron, two other memory suppliers, to get hold of more memory chips. It would be entirely plausible for Apple to source lower-capacity but similar-speed memory chips from other suppliers for the iPhone, leaving Samsung's higher-capacity supply for the Pro and Air models.
The capacity is not the only thing that will change with the memory for the iPhone 18. As leaked in April, the use of 6-channel LPDDR5X will significantly increase the memory bandwidth, helping to further improve performance.
