All of the 2025 iPhone 17 lineup will boast 12GB of RAM to provide support for Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple’s supply chain, made his comments just a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all have 12GB of RAM.
While Kuo said that even the base model iPhone 17 will boast 12GB of RAM, he did say it will depend on whether or not supply chain issues can be overcome. He said Apple will make a decision on the issue by May. If the base iPhone 17 is restricted to 8GB of RAM, Kup said he expects the entire iPhone 18 lineup to be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
All of the models in Apple’s current iPhone 16 lineup have 8GB of RAM installed, so an increase to 12GB would be quite a leap. Additional RAM allows larger and more capable AI models to run on-device instead of in the cloud, providing improved speed and responsiveness, while allowing more complex tasks to be completed locally. Additonal RAM also provides smoother multitasking, allowing AI processes to operate in the background without slowing down the apps running in the foreground.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup around its traditional September timeframe.
