Mobile Review

Two Analysts Confirm Massive Specs Bump Coming to iPhone 18e

August 3, 2026

Apple doesn’t usually do surprises on its budget phones, but this one qualifies. Two top analysts — Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities and Jeff Pu of GF Securities — both report that Apple plans to increase the RAM on the iPhone 18e from 8GB to 9GB. That might sound like a small number. Given the current state of the memory market, it’s actually a meaningful call.

Why This Is Unusual

DRAM is expensive right now. And getting more so. High demand from AI data centers has caused a global shortage of DRAM chips for smartphones, pushing prices up significantly. The three biggest memory makers — Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix — have shifted production toward higher-margin AI-grade chips. Smartphone DRAM is lower on the priority list. Supply is tight. Cost is up.

So Apple choosing to add more RAM to its cheapest iPhone — right now, in this market — is a deliberate move. It costs more. Apple is doing it anyway.

Two top analysts confirm Apple will increase iPhone 18e RAM from 8GB to 9GB ahead of its March launch — a notable move given the ongoing global DRAM shortage driven by AI data center demand diverting supply away from smartphone chips.

Why 9GB of RAM Specifically?

Here’s the context. Apple requires iPhones to have at least 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence. For advanced features like enhanced AI dictation and Expressive Siri voices, 12GB is required. The 18e sits between those two thresholds. Nine gigabytes won’t unlock the top-tier AI features. But it gives Apple headroom for future software demands without crossing into 12GB territory on a budget device.

It’s a quiet hedge. Apple is future-proofing the entry model without committing to full flagship AI parity.

What Else Do We Know?

Apple plans to release the iPhone 18e next March. Beyond the RAM bump, the 18e is expected to keep the affordable positioning that defined the iPhone 16e earlier this year. No major design overhaul is rumored. The chip will almost certainly be an A-series variant — likely a step behind whatever Apple puts in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup launching in fall.

The 9GB figure is the story here. Not because it’s a dramatic spec. Because bumping RAM on a budget phone during a global memory shortage says something about where Apple thinks AI features are heading — and how quickly it wants even its entry-level devices to keep up.