Earlier this month Google released the Pixel 9 series, with a significant RAM boost — jumping to 12GB on the Pixel 9 and 16GB on the Pro models. Google said this was done to help power on-device AI, and it had some people wondering whether Apple might do the same with iPhone 16. But apparently we won’t start seeing this until at least next year.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that we won’t be seeing any extra RAM until the launch of the iPhone 17 series in 2025. But, Kuo refuted previous rumors that all 4 iPhone 17s would get this upgrade — instead claiming that it’ll be exclusive to iPhone 17 Pro Max.
This isn’t necessarily bad news for the iPhone 16 series. While this suggests the Pro models won’t be getting any extra memory, there have been rumors that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be adding an extra 2GB of RAM this year — for a total of 8GB.
Apple itself confirmed that RAM constraints are what’s stopping Apple Intelligence rolling out to non-Pro iPhone 15s. So a jump from 6GB to 8GB is going to be essential if Apple wants to add on-device AI features to every single iPhone 16. In fact Apple is said to be taking that rollout so seriously that it may even offer 8GB of RAM in the iPhone SE 4 when it launches (we hope) next year.
It’s a shame that we won’t be seeing a RAM boost on the iPhone 16 Pro, but it’s not exactly surprising. Apple has always been reluctant to stuff more RAM into the iPhone without solid reasoning. So if Apple Intelligence’s current incarnation will work with 8GB of RAM, that’s what we’re getting. That’s not to say that extra memory on future models couldn’t be more beneficial, potentially offering more powerful AI features and/or future-proofing a device for what comes next.
The interesting thing about Apple Intelligence is that the current slate of features don’t seem to be restricted based on the device it’s running on. Granted there are only two AI-compatible iPhones available right now, so that’s hardly a scientific conclusion. But if Kuo is correct, and the 12GB RAM upgrade ends up being exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, then we may start seeing more AI disparity — with more expensive phones capable of doing better and more interesting things.
Kuo also claims that the 17 Pro Max will feature a brand new cooling system that combines graphite sheets with vapor chamber technology. That should help prevent heat build-up, and may see the phone capable of safely performing better and more complicated tasks as a result. Which would explain the extra RAM to try and facilitate this.
Sadly this enhanced cooling system design will apparently a Pro Max exclusive too, with the rest of the iPhone 17 reportedly relying on graphite sheets for cooling.
We have a long time to wait until the iPhone 17 series launches, but thankfully the iPhone 16 launch is imminent — with Apple confirming its “Glowtime” event for September 9. That’s where we’ll see the launch of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, alongside other products like the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Be sure to check out our Apple event hub for a rundown on everything we expect to see on the day.
More from Tom's Guide
- Wait for the iPhone 17? Here's why you shouldn't put off an iPhone 16 upgrade
- iPhone 16 battery rumors — these are the upgrades we could see
- New iOS 18.1 beta adds more Apple Intelligence features — here’s what’s available on the iPhone
