Foldable iPhone's 12GB RAM to Be Supplied by Samsung

[MacRumors]

Apple's first foldable iPhone will feature 12GB of RAM supplied by Samsung, with the latter set to begin DRAM shipments in the second quarter of this year in line with Apple's production schedule.

Korea-based media outlet The Bell reports that Samsung was able to negotiate a substantially higher price than previous memory contracts with Apple, owing to tightening global memory supply amid the AI server build-out.

The price of a 12GB LPDDR5X module, which is already used in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, has risen sharply from around $30 at the beginning of 2025 to roughly $70 at the start of this year.

Despite Apple's typical multi-vendor strategy, the company is said to be expanding the share of iPhone memory it sources from Samsung due to rapidly rising memory prices. Concentrating a much larger share of orders with Samsung should allow Apple to secure more predictable deliveries and potentially benefit from economies of scale, even as overall component costs rise.

That said, companies such as SK hynix and Micron are also believed to have secured DRAM purchase orders from Apple for its first foldable, though these are expected to enter the supply chain at a much later date.

Apple's book-style foldable will operate like a cross between an iPhone and an iPad, recent reports suggest. When closed, it will resemble a traditional slab-style iPhone, but when open, it will be closer to the size of the iPad mini. Rather than a tall design, Apple is using a wider design than its competitors, and it is expected to have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The foldable iPhone or "iPhone Fold" is expected to launch in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Article Link: Foldable iPhone's 12GB RAM to Be Supplied by Samsung

 

[JPack]

12GB for an iPhone starting at $1,999…. Due to the AI boom, everyone should get used to taking a step back in their RAM expectations, whether for Fold or Neo 2.

 

[jmh600cbr]

My body is ready. I don’t want to wait until September.

 

[HouseLannister]

$40 more for RAM is not a big deal, especially for Fold buyers. As long as Apple negotiated a good rate on the display and can get enough to meet demand and handle repairs, it will be fine.

 

[MayaUser]

this mean no dual boot, no ipadOS as for inner display

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

this mean no dual boot, no ipadOS as for inner display

Did anyone actually expect that?

 

[EugW]

12GB for an iPhone starting at $1,999…. Due to the AI boom, everyone should get used to taking a step back in their RAM expectations, whether for Fold or Neo 2.

No, we already know A19 Pro has 12 GB RAM, so that's what Neo 2 will get.

The question isn't if Neo 2 will get 12 GB RAM or not, but when it will come out.

 

[JPack]

No, we already know A19 Pro has 12 GB RAM, so that's what Neo 2 will get.

That’s like saying A19 Pro has a USB 3.0 controller so that’s what all devices will get. Look at iPhone Air. Just because a chip can support 12GB RAM doesn’t mean all variants will come with that amount.

 

[Timmy-noinnovation]

Can't wait!

 

[JPack]

If the memory is contained within the die, Apple designs the chip based on ARM designs, then TSMC fabricates the chip, please explain where Samsung comes into play in supplying 12GB RAM?

Asking as I have an appointment today to inspect a leprechaun with a unicorn horn for purchase. I like purchasing things that don't and can't exist. 😂

One could sooner purchase a Camaro with a Coyote engine from the factory versus what this "Digitimes" caliber leaker is presenting, that this site picked up.

We trust technical journalists to know what they are talking about. This post indicates this site has no clue.

#1 DRAM isn’t on-die.

#2 TSMC doesn’t fab DRAM. They only fab logic.

The people who don’t even understand this basic concept should really stop and learn before they post.

 

[EugW]

That’s like saying A19 Pro has a USB 3.0 controller so that’s what all devices will get. Look at iPhone Air. Just because a chip can support 12GB RAM doesn’t mean all variants will come with that amount.

We already have the example from the Studio Display. It just uses whatever was available for the iPhone, even though it needs nowhere near the storage that it has. And iPhone Air has 12 GB RAM.

 

[JPack]

We already have the example from the Studio Display. It just uses whatever was available for the iPhone, even though it needs nowhere near the storage that it has.

Studio Display starts at $1,599. Neo starts at $499 for students.

If Apple had $40 to play with (the difference will probably double by the time Apple locks in Neo 2 at end of 2026), they wouldn’t need to save a few bucks here and there.

Apple shortened the power cable by 0.5m compared to other MacBooks. Neo comes with a 20W charger. Neo keyboard is not backlit. They saved another few pennies by not having a green privacy LED adjacent to the webcam.

 

[EugW]

Studio Display starts at $1,599. Neo starts at $499 for students.

If Apple had $40 to play with (the difference probably will probably double by the time Apple locks in Neo 2 at end of 2026), they wouldn’t need to save a few bucks here and there.

Apple shortened the power cable by 0.5m compared to other MacBooks. Neo comes with a 20W charger. Neo keyboard is not backlit. They saved another few pennies by not having a green privacy LED adjacent to the webcam.

You may not have seen it but I also added a response to your comment about the iPhone Air. I pointed out the iPhone Air also has 12 GB RAM... As for USB, yes the iPhone Air only runs at USB 2, but that doesn't change the fact it still has a USB 3 controller.

 

[iMac The Knife]

Having owned multiple foldables to date, I'm excited to try the iPhone foldable. I honestly don't know if I will end up going back to iOS permanently, but we'll see. Time will tell.

 

[JPack]

You may not have seen it but I also added a response to your comment about the iPhone Air. I pointed out the iPhone Air also has 12 GB RAM... As for USB, yes the iPhone Air only runs at USB 2, but that doesn't change the fact it still has a USB 3 controller.

When do you think iPhone Air locked in? Probably early 2025. DRAM prices were not as insane. They didn’t even start jumping.

Neo 2 getting 12GB means not only does Apple pay for the 50% jump from 8GB to 12GB but another $40 (at least, as evidenced by this article) for the current premium. That’s conservatively +$60 for a single item on the BOM. More than 10% of total device BOM just for the increase from 8GB to 12GB.

I suggest applying logic and current supply and demand factors rather than “it’s gotta be 12GB because of history.”

 

[Johnny365]

Well, I'll go against the grain and say that the iPhone Fold will have 24GB of RAM. There. It has to happen now. I said it.

 

[EugW]

When do you think iPhone Air locked in? Probably early 2025. DRAM prices were not as insane. They didn’t even start jumping.

Neo 2 getting 12GB means not only does Apple pay for the 50% jump from 8GB to 12GB but another $40 (at least, as evidenced by this article) for the current premium. That’s conservatively +$60 for a single item on the BOM. More than 10% of total device BOM just for the increase from 8GB to 12GB.

I suggest applying logic and current supply and demand factors rather than “it’s gotta be 12GB because of history.”

There is also the design lock-in. It's extremely likely the A19 Pro design pairing with 12 GB RAM was locked-in years ago.

While what you suggest about the RAM isn't impossible, I think the more probable cost-saving scenario would simply be for Apple to keep the A18 Pro Neo 8 GB longer. That would be the cheapest and easiest option.

 

[JPack]

There is also the design lock-in. It's extremely likely the A19 Pro design pairing with 12 GB RAM was locked-in years ago.

While what you suggest about the RAM isn't impossible, I think the more probable cost-saving scenario would simply be for Apple to keep the A18 Pro Neo 8 GB longer. That would be the cheapest and easiest option.

What part of the chip would have a minimum of 12GB RAM? The Pro doesn’t have additional DDR interfaces or anything that would remotely make it pair with 12GB as a design requirement.

For a while, iPhone 17 Pro was going to be paired with 8GB as well.

iPhone 17 Air Now Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM Like the Pro Models

The rumored ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model will be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to the latest word from Ming-Chi Kuo. In a blog post today, the well-known Apple supply chain analyst said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM...

www.macrumors.com

 

[EugW]

For a while, iPhone 17 Pro was going to be paired with 8GB as well.

iPhone 17 Air Now Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM Like the Pro Models

The rumored ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model will be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to the latest word from Ming-Chi Kuo. In a blog post today, the well-known Apple supply chain analyst said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM...

www.macrumors.com

He was guessing the 17 Pro might have 8 GB RAM, but pretty much everyone else thought it would have 12 GB RAM, myself included.

Anyhow, I really hope you're not right, because that would really suck for Neo 2. I think the more likely scenario is they'd just keep the Neo out an extra year or something.

 

[klasma]

this mean no dual boot, no ipadOS as for inner display

That was never in the cards IMO, because how would you handle app state between the two systems. Users expect the same app instance to be running on the inner as the outer display, as seamlessly as switching between portrait and landscape.

 

[starlabjump]

The folder screen inside the iPhone could at least be equipped with iPadOS.


Thanks to the MacBook Neo, we now know that the A19 Pro is more than capable of running macOS and iPadOS.


Therefore, this is purely a matter of Apple’s intention, not a technological limitation.

 

[Leigh-zed]

Is anybody else not bothered by folding phones at all or just me?

 

[EugW]

Is anybody else not bothered by folding phones at all or just me?

I'm not bothered by them, but I'm not going to buy one, especially at anywhere near that price. Actually I probably wouldn't buy one anyway at a more reasonable price either. I might have considered a flip, but not if it meant worse cameras and high price, but I have no interest in the Fold/Ultra.

 

[boswald]

Is anybody else not bothered by folding phones at all or just me?

I'm not in the market for one either, but that doesn't mean I can't get excited about what's inside. My only concern is the amount of RAM. Will 12 be enough for "The Age of AI"?

 

[EugW]

I'm not in the market for one either, but that doesn't mean I can't get excited about what's inside. My only concern is the amount of RAM. Will 12 be enough for "The Age of AI"?

What AI are you going to be doing on your phone? I guess it depends upon how you view this product. Is your primary "laptop" a 16 GB iPad Pro and you intend for this to replace it? Or do you want it to replace your aging 14 Pro Max?