Apple is reportedly planning to equip its iPhone 17 Pro models with 12GB of RAM, marking a significant upgrade from the 8GB RAM in the iPhone 16 Pro.
This increase is expected to boost the performance of Apple Intelligence features, which require more powerful hardware to function effectively.
The addition of 12GB of RAM aligns with Apple’s ambition to push its AI initiatives further, and it is expected to improve multitasking and overall device performance.
According to industry analyst Jeff Pu, this upgrade will not only enhance Apple Intelligence but also contribute to a 3.5% year-on-year increase in smartphone DRAM content, as an estimated 100 million new iPhone units are expected to adopt LPDDR5 memory.
Apple had previously upgraded its iPhone 16 lineup to 8GB of RAM to ensure compatibility with its AI features, which were not available on older models due to hardware limitations.
With this move, Apple is setting its ‘Pro’ models apart from the standard ones, which still feature 6GB of RAM and are limited in their Apple Intelligence capabilities.
It remains to be seen whether the higher RAM count will be exclusive to the Pro models or if it will eventually make its way to standard iPhone 17 models as well.
This upgrade is particularly significant as Apple seeks to stay competitive in the rapidly advancing AI and smartphone markets, where high RAM configurations are becoming more common.