Kuo: Next Year's Upgrade to 12GB RAM Will Be Limited to iPhone 17 Pro Max

[Darth Tulhu]

I have an iPhone 14 Pro and it looks like I’ll keep it another year.

For the first time in 13 years I really don’t give a crap if my next phone is Apple or otherwise. They offer nothing these days besides ripping people off for RAM alone.

They offer this: The ecosystem/iCloud syncing.

For this reason, and this reason alone, I will remain in the iPhone camp.

Because I'm never, ever, ever ever ever, giving up my iPad or Mac for Windows.

Never.

 

[GIZBUG]

Just put 12gig in this years phones …


No reason to wait a year

 

[johnsc3]

If iPhone plus didn’t sell well, why is Apple making iPhone “slim?” Makes no sense.

I’m hoping there much greater feature parity for this phone.

 

[bryo]

The more disappointing it sounds the more likely it’s true when it comes to memory upgrades and Apple, lol.

 

[laz232]

Majority of the customers don’t care about RAM in their phones

This.

I mean I just ran out of RAM doing an EM simulation on my 64GB 32-core work machine (AMD 5975WX Threadripper Pro) - but I have no idea what I would need 12GB for on my phone (TBH I have no idea how much RAM is in use on my iPhone 13 mini at any given time - pretty sure it's <4GB)

 

[coolfactor]

In another six to eight years it will catch up to where good Android phones have been - now at 16GB plus on flagship Android devices - more than a MacBook has!!! Forced obsolescence is good for GREEDY TIM!

Nice one Tim, just p**s your customers off more and more, every year, with each new novelty phone release🙄.

Please do tell us three things you're unable to do your phone today due to insufficient RAM.

We're waiting.

Meanwhile, Apple has been smart to not be overzealous with too much RAM headroom. Apps would suck it up like sponges and it would be no better. Having a lower headroom forces developers to optimize apps.

 

[Dylan33x]

And still a dynamic no thank you keep your island.

It’s looking like this 14PM will be my last iPhone for a very long time.

Lol I truly respect being particular, but it’s really not much of a change. I promise

 

[coolfactor]

How about no Dynamic Island. Please.

Do you despise the Dynamic Island on your current phone?

 

[citysnaps]

Yeah, those Windows laptops with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD's for around $1000 is just damn lazy! Who would buy that when you can get 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD in a MacBook from Apple for the same price? Apple is the opposite of lazy by not giving us more? Pretzel-logic.

Once again... We're talking about iPhone RAM requirements/needs in this thread. Not what's needed for computers.

Which is completely different than RAM requirements for any laptop or desktop computer.

You may not be aware that, unlike mobile phones, some people using computers have genuine needs/requirements for much more memory than the base level offered by Apple and other computer manufacturers.

The good news is, if you need more memory than what base level computers offer, simply pay for it. Apple and other computer manufacturers offer it and have you covered. Easy.

 

[9081094]

That's not what the original commenter meant. Most Android apps are written in Java, Kotlin, or Python and are run through a runtime engine. All of this ensures maximum compatibility across all supported Android hardware, but it adds a performance hit and significantly increases memory requirements. iOS apps are written in either Swift or Objective-C and are compiled to run natively on the hardware. There have been independent tests showing iOS apps need considerably less RAM than Android apps, sometimes up to 70% less, to perform the exact same functionality. So unlike the "8GB on Apple Silicon is the same as 16GB on Windows!" BS Apple was trying to spin last year there really is truth to the idea that 8GB on iOS goes as far as 12-16GB on Android because of the differences in how the two OS's run apps and other memory management differences.

And there are also lots of independent tests showing the same popular app running faster on Android than on iPhone. Look it up on YouTube. The days Apple wore the speed crown are over. Lots of people here are assuming things from the past.

Android has come from far but since the majority is using Android the development seems to be much speedier. Most of the things Apple shows on their WWDC are either implemented already on Android or are introduced before Apple has finished their golden master.

I’ll bet same goes for Apple intelligence. By the time Apple is ready with their Siri and other AI. Those features are already used for Android.

Name a few AI features Apple will introduce next year and mark this comment by the time it’s ready. I’ll bet something similar and more advanced will be there on the Android side.

 

[9081094]

Once again... We're talking about iPhone RAM requirements/needs in this thread. Not what's needed for computers.

Which is completely different than RAM requirements for any laptop or desktop computer.

You may not be aware that, unlike mobile phones, some people using computers have genuine needs/requirements for much more memory than the base level offered by Apple and other computer manufacturers.

The good news is, if you need more memory than what base level computers offer, simply pay for it. Apple and other computer manufacturers offer it and have you covered. Easy.

Yes Apple offers the more options but charge’s quadruple what other computer manufacturers offer for the same. That’s greediness at it best and not worthy a company who wants to be the “best” for consumers to offer.

Not to mention the soldered ssd’s at their motherboards and not user upgradable hardware. In the same sentence they speak they care so much for the environment.

I also don’t understand why people are so proud to mention how much profit Apple earns each year. Sure… every company has to make a profit to invest for future things. But most of the profit (billions of dollars from consumers overpaying what they get) goes to shareholders. Apple is one of the big tech companies that invest the least on R&D percentwice.

That’s one of the reasons the iPhone 16 = iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12 with some minor incremental increases.
Same for watch, iPad, Mac.

Minimal investments in R&D begins to show and competition have managed to copy apples eco system, look and feel and often surpass Apple in design.

Googles new Pixel Pro for example is better looking than the iPhone these days. Offers better photography features, more RAM etc. for far less Apple is asking.

Android’s material design is also great looking.

Apple has to step up in a big way or lower their prices.

 

[sleeptodream]

These micro evolutions every year are getting really tiresome.

Which is exactly what I’ve said every year for the last 5 as I’ve handed over my card to the cashier. 😆

Agreed, I’m out this year. I got a Galaxy Fold and I love it so far!

 

[9081094]

Agreed, I’m out this year. I got a Galaxy Fold and I love it so far!

While it hurts that you’re jumping to Samsung, I totally understand you. Innovation is dead at Apple.

I hope more people will jump ship. Maybe it awakens Timmy to invest more in their products and have better offerings in the future.

So one day you’ll say goodbye to your fold and jump back to Apple.

I’m afraid for that to happen, Timmy has to go.

 

[Quackington]

This is obviously a controlled leak to get the people who decided against a 16 after the previous 12gb rumour to get a 16 instead ;-)

#tinfoilhat

 

[Kottu]

Great, to ask ChatGpt about a three course meal you need iPhone 17 PM. Others can be satisfied with just a main course.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Their likely thought process is that if you have a group of people that want to buy a new iPhone Pro, a fraction of these will be pushed to the Pro Max despite the size and the remainder stick to buying the iPhone Pro. Their problem will come if a large chunk of that group who will not buy the larger size end up skipping the generation.

I suppose it comes down to whether someone is inclined to check the specs before buying. Probably 95% of people I know have no clue about the specs of their iPhone and just buy whatever is attractive on contract or affordable sim free. I think members here would be shocked just how many people out there have newish iPhones and have never activated things like FaceID and use only a fraction of the features the iPhone is capable of.

 

[wood1208]

I appreciate whatever Apple can add/enhance in their next iteration of iPhone because that will be my alternate year next upgrade for my family of 5. Not going to switch to Android **** in this life time.

 

[citysnaps]

Yes Apple offers the more options but charge’s quadruple what other computer manufacturers offer for the same. That’s greediness at it best and not worthy a company who wants to be the “best” for consumers to offer.

Not to mention the soldered ssd’s at their motherboards and not user upgradable hardware. In the same sentence they speak they care so much for the environment.

I also don’t understand why people are so proud to mention how much profit Apple earns each year. Sure… every company has to make a profit to invest for future things. But most of the profit (billions of dollars from consumers overpaying what they get) goes to shareholders. Apple is one of the big tech companies that invest the least on R&D percentwice.

That’s one of the reasons the iPhone 16 = iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12 with some minor incremental increases.
Same for watch, iPad, Mac.

Minimal investments in R&D begins to show and competition have managed to copy apples eco system, look and feel and often surpass Apple in design.

Googles new Pixel Pro for example is better looking than the iPhone these days. Offers better photography features, more RAM etc. for far less Apple is asking.

Android’s material design is also great looking.

Apple has to step up in a big way or lower their prices.

I'm so very happy you find better value in non-Apple computers and phones!

No need to worry about what Apple does and its 1 Billion active customers like and prefer seeing much better value.

God speed going forward!

 

[9081094]

I appreciate whatever Apple can add/enhance in their next iteration of iPhone because that will be my alternate year next upgrade for my family of 5. Not going to switch to Android **** in this life time.

Why not? Even if you get better offerings from different brands? Is this the loyalty Timmy is counting on?

You also always buy the same brand of car? Just wondering🤔

 

[dampfnudel]

Oh? So no RAM increase on the 17? Then I guess we’ll have to wait for the iPhone 18…

Nah, actually this year could be a good one to upgrade. I will try the 16, for sure.

Get the 16 or 16 Pro, upgrade in two years to the 18 Pro which will get 12GB. I think that’s a good plan, probably what I’ll do coming from a 14 Pro. Next year’s 17 Pro sounds like another incremental upgrade hobbled by 8GB of RAM once again. Based on Kuo, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be the first iPhone fully optimized for AI with full on device AI processing. If you don’t like the larger size, you’ll have to wait for the 18 Pro, just like people who wanted the smaller Pro model and also wanted the 5x telescopic camera had to wait for the 16 Pro.

 

[arc of the universe]

Great, to ask ChatGpt about a three course meal you need iPhone 17 PM. Others can be satisfied with just a main course.

i like the way you phrase it. its largely true.

i have always used a food analogy about RAM & processor speed.

RAM is the amount of food you can put in your mouth at one time. a large size mouth can fit alot more food than a small size mouth.
Processor speed is how quickly your jaws are chomping up and down on that food.

that is the point of why LLM need alot of RAM. LLM apparently benefit from working on a large amount of data at the same time.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

I hope M4 series will turn baseline up to 12GB as well. Although, it didn’t in the iPad Pro so maybe that will be an M5 thing? Next year could be M5 and A series “Pro” move to 12GB. It’s needed at this point.

 

[Neebee]

Kuo has been great at blowing smoke for a while now. Eventually, Apple will move to 12GB or RAM, but not in 2025. Source: Ouija board.

 

[jwolf6589]

Because some of us power users have more than one or two apps open at a time.

So do I????

 

[ProbablyDylan]

and it'll still unload my safari tabs if I dare to multitask.