Some phones are really going to town adding RAM to their phones, including the OnePlus 12 which supports up to 24GB of the stuff. But we probably shouldn’t expect that from the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 16. Word is that both phone lineups will be offering the exact same RAM configurations as their predecessors.
This comes from leaker @Tech_Reve, citing Mizuho Securities, over on Twitter/X. They note that while increased memory capacity will be crucial for boosting on-device AI capabilities, phone manufacturers will apparently be taking a more conservative approach to including higher memory capacities.
Mizuho Securities: Increasing memory capacity is crucial for on-device AI. However, due to the anticipated steep rise in memory semiconductor prices next year and the lack of killer content for on-device AI, smartphone manufacturers are expected to take a conservative approach…December 9, 2023
Tech_Reve claims that this is down to two things. The first being the age-old problem of semiconductor prices making it rather expensive to boost the amount of RAM in 2024 smartphones. The other problem is that there’s no “killer” content for on-device AI right now, which would make such a move seem fairly wasteful.
Apple, in particular, has always been rather conservative with the amount of RAM in the iPhone for this very reason. Because iOS and iPhones are built by the same company, they’re supposedly better optimized to work together and need fewer resources as a result. That’s why the iPhone 15 still has 6GB of RAM, while Android phone makers have been offering 8GB to 12GB of RAM for the past several years.
If this report is accurate, it means that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will likely come with 6GB of RAM, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have 8GB of RAM. It’s unclear what this could mean for the iPhone 16 Ultra, and it’ll no doubt depend on what capabilities the phone has and whether it’s a distinct device from the Pro Max model.
We can also expect to see the Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus with 8GB of RAM, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra may be coming with 8GB and 12GB configurations once again. Though rumor is that we may also get a Plus variant with 12GB of RAM alongside the expected 8GB model.
Both the iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S24 are said to be offering a boost in AI capabilities. For Apple that means potential upgrades to Siri, unique features, Action buttons on the cheaper models and performance upgrades. Samsung is rumored to be offering live AI translation, generative text assistance, and plenty of extra tricks and upgrades to the camera — all part of its Gauss AI model.
As useful as these features could end up being, apparently they don’t warrant any kind of memory boost. It’s not clear what sort of impact that will have on the devices and their functionality, but at least it means consumers don’t risk having to take on the cost of extra RAM they may or may not need.
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