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ByLuke Edwards
The new iPhone 17 Air could come packing in far more memory than current models in what should boost longevity as well as power.
While current iPhone 16 models, across the range, come with 8GB of RAM it’s looking like the iPhone 17 Air will come with a hefty 12GB of RAM.
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This will mean that the phones not only run faster, with more memory capacity for gaming and multi-tasking, but also that they will stay that way longer into the future.
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The other reason for this, potentially, is to allow Apple to roll-out its top-end Apple Intelligence features which can be handled by these more powerful iPhone models.
The rumour comes from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also points out that this new 12GB RAM could feature on the iPhone 17 too. He says that it all depends on potential supply chain shortages which could affect what Apple ends up being able to offer across its range.
Kuo says that Apple is currently finalizing its assessment on the supply chain issues and should make a decision about this by May.
Currently the base amount of memory required to support Apple Intelligence is 8GB of RAM. This is why only iPhone 15 Pro or newer are the only variants built to support the AI.
Why will the iPhone 17 last?
Kuo also claims that this new level of RAM is going to be adopted as the standard by Apple for future models with the iPhone 18 due to come with 12GB as standard.
This could be the start of an Apple future where AI is more heavily featured and that extra memory is required to get the most out of it. That could mean that older, less powerful models, are due to become obsolete – or at least far less useful – sooner than in previous years of upgrade cycles.
Will the iPhone 17 cost more?
Thanks to this jump in memory is could mean a knock on effect on cost. The extra RAM represents a price jump at the selling end though – meaning suppliers will ultimately benefit.
So while people will likely end up paying the usual Apple iPhone price, it may kick back to suppliers – allowing them to make advances for future upgrades, in theory at least.
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Luke has over two decades of experience covering tech, science and health. Among many others, Luke writes about health tech…
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