According to a research note from analyst Jeff Pu, Apple's base iPhone 18 could ship with 12GB of RAM, a 50% jump over the 8GB in the iPhone 17, and would match the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 11, which start at 12GB and 256GB. This contradicts Ming-Chi Kuo's earlier claim that both the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e would have 9GB; Pu believes 9GB is meant for the 18e alone. Both models are expected to run Apple's A20 chip. The extra memory is linked to keeping Siri alive on-device, as iOS 27 will feature tighter Apple Intelligence integration, and Apple is reportedly planning to charge for heavy Siri use. Pu also claims the iPhone 18 will inherit the smaller Dynamic Island debuting on the iPhone 18 Pro. The base iPhone 18 will not arrive in September; Pegatron executives confirmed it slips to the first quarter of 2027, alongside the 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air, due to memory and chip shortages. Only the Pro models and the rumoured foldable iPhone Ultra come this autumn, as Apple prioritises phones with fatter margins.