Report: 2026 iPhones Will Prioritize AI Updates With RAM Setup Overhaul

Apple is always working on new iPhones that will arrive in a few years, and today a new report details a notable internal change coming to the 2026 iPhone 18 lineup.

Apple shifts to discrete RAM in iPhones to prioritize on-device AI

The iPhone 16 is being called the first model “built from the ground up” for AI. But it’s no surprise that future iPhones will make even more changes to optimize for an AI-rich future.

The Elec’s Seok Jin Lee writes:

Samsung has begun research into changing the packaging method for the low-power, double-data-rate DRAM used in iPhones. The South Korean tech giant’s move to change the LPDDR integrated circuit (IC) to a discrete package is at Apple’s request, sources said. That means the LPDDR will be packaged separately (i.e. discretely) from the system semiconductor. Cupertino plans to implement the change starting in 2026… The change to a discrete package is being made to expand memory bandwidth for on-device AI.

Historically, Apple has used PoP (package-on-package) configurations for RAM in its iPhones. This means that it is installed on top of the main system chip.

This approach has a number of advantages, but as The Elec notes, it is not necessarily the best setup for on-device AI.

PoP is not optimal for on-device AI. Bandwidth is determined by the data rate, data bus width, and data channels. The bus width and channel are determined by the number of I/O pins. To increase the number of pins, the package must be larger. But in PoP, the memory size is determined by the SoC, which limits the number of I/O pins on the package.

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Discrete packaging also allows for better heat management. Running AI on a device in parallel produces high levels of heat. Having a larger surface area for memory allows the heat to radiate over a wider surface area.

Apple has used discrete packaging for Macs and iPads in the past, but since switching to Apple silicon with the M1, it has used PoP setups there as well. It’s likely this change for the iPhone could also affect Macs and iPads.

9to5Mac’s Take

One thing this report makes clear is that Apple should expect significant RAM requirements for future iPhones due to the AI features being developed on the device.

Apple Intelligence only debuted recently, but as Apple and the rest of the tech world have made clear, AI will play a big role in our computing future. And no matter what Apple does for new software now, its 2026 iPhone 18 hardware should be ready.

Are you surprised by this report? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.