Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max this fall, possibly alongside its first foldable iPhone. The standard iPhone 18, however, is said to arrive later in spring 2027 with the iPhone 18e. While the lineup is expected to get more RAM, the upgrade may still fall short of what the standard and 18e models need for two advanced Siri AI features.
The issue is Apple’s AFM Core Advanced model. It powers Advanced Dictation Preview in iOS 27, along with Apple’s new expressive Siri voices. The model runs locally on supported devices, but it needs at least 12GB of RAM.
More memory may not be enough
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s lower-end 2027 iPhones powered by the A20 chip will move to 9GB of RAM, up from 8GB on current standard models. Forbes points out that the upgrade may still leave the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e short of the requirement for Apple’s higher-end Siri features.
iOS 27 will bring tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence. My latest industry checks suggest Apple’s lower-end 1H27 iPhones, powered by the A20 chip, will move to 9GB DRAM (1.5GB × 6 dies), up from 8GB (2GB × 4 dies) in the current A19 models, to keep the system…
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) June 26, 2026
Advanced Dictation Preview is currently available on the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air running the iOS 27 beta. The standard iPhone 17 and even the iPhone 16 Pro are excluded because they have 8GB of RAM.
Advanced Dictation Preview improves accuracy and can automatically handle punctuation and capitalization while users speak. Expressive Siri voices are designed to make Apple’s assistant sound more natural and flexible. If the 12GB cutoff stays in place, then these features will not be available on the standard 18 and 18e models.
The Pro models should have the edge
Apple has not announced the iPhone 18 lineup, so the feature split is not confirmed. Kuo says the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple’s rumored foldable iPhone will remain at 12GB of RAM.
Alleged design of iPhone 18 Pro. Macworld
The split may look like Apple is simply pushing buyers toward the Pro models, but the memory situation is more complicated than product segmentation. Apple has already raised prices across its iPad and Mac lineup as RAM prices climb, and the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to see a jump of around $200.
The company is also reportedly seeking government approval to source RAM from China’s CXMT as it tries to manage a supply crunch that is making advanced AI features harder to bring to cheaper models.
