iPhone 18 could adopt faster, more power efficient LPDDR5X RAM to boost Apple Intelligence performance in 2026
Apple Intelligence could run faster on the iPhone 18 models coming in 2026 if Apple adopts the faster, power-sipping six-channel LPDDR5X RAM memory technology.
Leaker “Digital Chat Station” wrote on the Chinese social network Weibo that the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro models coming down the pike in 2026 will leverage a six-channel LPDDR5X technology to power unified memory in the upcoming Apple A20 and A20 Pro chips. LPDDR is short for Low Power Double Data Rate.
Apple Intelligence already requires a minimum of eight gigabytes of RAM. Extra RAM that can move data chunks faster while conserving power would enable Apple Intelligence to run more complex AI models directly on the device without using the cloud while improving performance, battery efficiency and user experience.
Rumor: iPhone 18 lineup to use faster LPDDR5X RAM for Apple Intelligence
Aside from RAM size, memory bandwidth is one of the biggest contributing factors to AI performance. The current A18 and A18 Pro chips powering the regular and Pro-branded iPhone 16 models are speculated to use the slower LPDDR5 memory.
LPDDR5 can hit theoretical data transfer speeds of up to 6,400 Mbps. Contrast this with LPDDR5X, which uses six channels to boost the bandwidth by more the thirty percent to 8,533 Mbps. LPDDR5X also beats LPDDR5X in terms of battery life, bringing about twenty percent more efficient power usage. These perks could translate into a longer battery life for the iPhone 18 models or the ability to run more complex Apple Intelligence features on-device without engaging the cloud.
Aside from smoother and faster AI features, increasing the iPhone’s RAM and switching to LPDDR5 should also make all iPhone 18 models better for multitasking and running demanding applications such as high-end games.
“Digital Chat Station” has had some misses, but the leaker correctly predicted that the iPhone 16 Pro models would gain a large image sensor for the main camera along with a telephoto lens for increased optical zoom. They also predicted this February that the Dynamic Island area on the flagship iPhone 17 Pro Max model would shrink thanks to a new component for Face ID.
All iPhone 17 models should have 12GB of RAM
In today’s post, “Digital Chat Station” also said that all Phone 17 models launching this September (the rumored ultra-thin “iPhone 17 Air” included) might boost the amount of RAM by fifty precent, going from the eight gigabytes of unified memory in the iPhone 16 models to twelve across all models in the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said recently that the base iPhone 17 model could be stuck with eight gigabytes of RAM unless Apple overcomes supply chain shortages. But even if the entry-level iPhone 17 ends up shipping with the same amount of RAM as before, he thinks all iPhone 18 models in 2026 will have twelve gigabytes.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/04/29/iphone-18-ram-lpddr5x-apple-intelligence-rumor/
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