More iPhones could get a memory upgrade, but some will have to wait

By Monica J. White Published April 25, 2025

It’s good news and bad news today. The good part is that iPhones are due for a memory upgrade, and it seems that more models will get the RAM boost compared to previous expectations. The bad news? It won’t be all models, and we’ll have to wait for the iPhone 18 to get more memory across the board.

The scoop comes from a reputable source on all things Apple: Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Still, don’t take it all at face value; things might change, and nothing is official until Apple itself says so. With that out of the way, let’s dig in.

According to Kuo, the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup will see an upgrade from 8GB to 12GB memory — but this won’t be true for every model. The iPhone 17 Pro Max, Pro, and Air will now feature 12GB of DRAM. This is good news, because Kuo previously predicted that only the Pro Max model would get extra memory.

On the other hand, those who are aiming to buy the base version of the iPhone 17 will need to make do with just 8GB of DRAM. Kuo says that supply constraints are the reason here, forcing Apple to potentially limit the upgrade to 12GB to the higher-end models.

Fortunately, even if Apple chooses to leave the base iPhone 17 with just 8GB of DRAM, Kuo claims that the iPhone 18 lineup will be upgraded to 12GB in its entirety. It looks like shoppers will be given more of an incentive to buy a higher-end model in the iPhone 17 generation — if this turns out to be true, that is.

The boost in memory will result in a cost increase on Apple’s end, though. Ming-Chi Kuo says that the average selling price (ASP) is about 50% higher when it comes to 12GB vs. 8GB. It’s unclear how much this price increase will affect the consumers. Some sources say that Apple is unlikely to lower its profit margin, which could mean that the next-gen iPhones will get pricier, but it’s really too early to tell.