A choice of iPhones

[NomDePomme]

Hi all, first post here.

I am currently using my iPhone 12 mini. The battery is at 81% so I am in the market for a new iPhone in the next month or so.

I would be happy for forum member’s thoughts on the need for 12 MB RAM for IOS 27’s Apple Intelligence features.

I am not interested enough in the iPhone as a camera to want the 17 Pro, and the weight puts me off. The added size of the 17 Air is a slight negative, particularly since I am coming from a mini.

By size, weight and price the standard 17 would be my choice, yet I don’t want to cut myself off from even the next OS version (let alone what the future may bring) by having “only” 8 MB RAM.

Does anybody have a sense of where all this is heading? Will iPhone 19 have even more RAM, or will the enormous price rise of this component constrain Apple’s OS design to somehow work with less RAM?

As you can see from my current model I am not a frequent upgrader!

I’m grateful for any input.

 

[JPack]

We can only guess at this point.

Based on WWDC, it appears Apple is bifurcating AI support. This means the mainstream phones get "regular" Siri AI while the Pro/Ultra devices get "pro" Siri AI.

iPhone 18 is expected to have 9GB RAM. I seriously doubt Apple will cut off devices with less than 12GB RAM. (Even iPhone 11 with 4GB is supported in iOS 27.) Apple can simply tune the size of the AI model to be bigger or smaller. Just like camera features, AI features are a selling point.

 

[NomDePomme]

Thank you for your input JPack. I see that I should have expressed myself more exactly. My concern is not about cutting myself off from the entirety of OS 27. I am concerned that I would not have 100% of the functionality.

Maybe I am borrowing worries from the future… we don’t actually know the full extent of what Apple Intelligence will offer. Taking a cue from your reply, perhaps the full funtion of this feature would be as unimportant to me as the tele lens on the 17 pro…

 

[Macdctr]

Thank you for your input JPack. I see that I should have expressed myself more exactly. My concern is not about cutting myself off from the entirety of OS 27. I am concerned that I would not have 100% of the functionality.

Maybe I am borrowing worries from the future… we don’t actually know the full extent of what Apple Intelligence will offer. Taking a cue from your reply, perhaps the full funtion of this feature would be as unimportant to me as the tele lens on the 17 pro…

You have to first decide what features of Apple Intelligence is important to you. Right now the Air and current Pro series iPhones have 12GB RAM and therefore have full Apple Intelligence. Devices such as the 15 Pro onwards having 8GB RAM will have Apple Intelligence with exception of two features:

- Enhanced system-wide dictation
- Advanced Siri voice customization

Both of those features I haven’t taken advantage of while using my Air. Features I doubt I will use but that’s me. I don’t know your use case but this is something you have to decide if you are going to take advantage of this.

I have a Green 256GB 13 mini with iOS27 Developer Beta 3 installed and use this device as a backup iPhone. It has been running great under the new iOS but does not have Apple Intelligence so I use Gemini and Chat GPT. I also have a Blue Titanium 15 Pro that I have been using as my prime iPhone since WWDC with iOS27 Developer Beta installed and have been very happy using this device over my Air and 17 Pro.

For my use case both my 15 Pro and 13 mini have been perfect. It just depends on how you intend to use your iPhone. I see myself being able to use my 15 Pro for several more years under my present use case.

 

[Le_Chiffre]

Hi all, first post here.

I am currently using my iPhone 12 mini. The battery is at 81% so I am in the market for a new iPhone in the next month or so.

I would be happy for forum member’s thoughts on the need for 12 MB RAM for IOS 27’s Apple Intelligence features.

I am not interested enough in the iPhone as a camera to want the 17 Pro, and the weight puts me off. The added size of the 17 Air is a slight negative, particularly since I am coming from a mini.

By size, weight and price the standard 17 would be my choice, yet I don’t want to cut myself off from even the next OS version (let alone what the future may bring) by having “only” 8 MB RAM.

Does anybody have a sense of where all this is heading? Will iPhone 19 have even more RAM, or will the enormous price rise of this component constrain Apple’s OS design to somehow work with less RAM?

As you can see from my current model I am not a frequent upgrader!

I’m grateful for any input.

Coming from a mini I would get the iPhone Air.

 

[Macdctr]

Coming from a mini I would get the iPhone Air.

I have heard this from other people and for me I went backwards and went from my Air to the 13 mini I'm currently using as my backup iPhone.