Apple’s much-rumored and uber-thin “iPhone 17 Air” will boast 12GB of RAM, just like the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, according to well-connected Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo’s comments came in a blog post today, where he said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. He had previously expected only the iPhone 17 Pro Max to have 12GB of RAM.
Kuo also said that even the base-model iPhone 17 might be equipped with 12GB of RAM, but that will happen only if Apple’s supply chain shortages can be overcome. He said that Apple will make a decision on the amount of RAM it will offer in the iPhone 17 next month.
All of the models in the current iPhone 16 lineup boast 8GB of RAM. An increase to 12GB RAM would be a huge jump in RAM. More RAM helps improve performance, which can come in handy when multitasking or using Apple Intelligence.
If the base-model iPhone 17 is restricted to 8GB of RAM, Kuo said he expects all of the iPhone 18 lineup to be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
Kuo said Apple suppliers Micron and SK Hynix will benefit financially from the iPhone’s increased amount of RAM.
In early March, Kuo said the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with a “high-density” battery. He did not offer up any specific Wh/mAh battery capacity figures.
Also in March, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said his sources tell him that the new handset may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., occupying the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. The device has been widely rumored as a replacement for the Plus in the iPhone lineup going forward.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series in September.
