Why The iPhone 18 Might Be Worth The Wait Until Early 2027

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in the fall, providing phone users a first-hand glimpse of its next flagships. However, one variant that most may have overlooked is the iPhone 18, the entry-level member of the group.

The word going around is that the iPhone 18 won't be around until 2027. This means that those who plan to upgrade from their current iPhone but are on a budget will have to wait a little bit more.

iPhone 18 Could Match Pro Models in RAM

However, that wait may pay off if the revelation of analyst Dan Nystedt is on point. According to him, the entry-level iPhone 18 may come out with 12GB of RAM.

If this is true, then iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max owners may want to wait. It will be recalled that these two iPhones got a 12GB RAM upgrade in September 2025, something that most suggest was because of the new A20 chip powering the device.

But seeing that these two iPhones were more powerful than its entry-level counterpart, why would Apple bump up the RAM for the iPhone 18?

Apple Intelligence and iOS 27 May Drive Upgrade

While Nystedt didn't provide an explanation on why the Cupertino company would offer a budget-friendly iPhone 18 with 12GB of RAM, the answer may be in the software part.

Apple is expected to release iOS 27 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September, an operating system expected to include Apple Intelligence features, Apple Insider reported.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) eats up a lot of RAM and this could be a reason behind the 12GB RAM bump of the budget-friendly iPhone 18. So while it may not be the premium model, Apple may be making sure that the iPhone 18 is capable of running all of iOS 27's new features.

It would be good to note that since it is categorized as a budget-friendly phone, the new features it offers may not be eye-catching. The alleged RAM bump and A20 chip are great but beyond that, expectations need to be tapered.

To date, Apple has not officially come out with the features the iPhone 18 will have. Per rumours, among the features to expect from the iPhone 18 include an under-display front-facing camera for Face ID that will be allegedly located at the top left corner.

Also, the iPhone 18 will allegedly come with a smaller Dynamic Island and be available in a variety of colours like coffee brown. Also, the camera control button will reportedly be simplified to a pressure-sensitive function.

If those appear reasonable, then waiting and passing off from purchasing a new iPhone makes sense. Some have suggested buyers to go for the iPhone 17 instead of waiting for the entry level iPhone. But unless it is immediately necessary, it may be wise to hold off for now.

Also, it would be worth noting that once the new batch of iPhones do come out, the prices of the iPhone 17 are expected to go down, a trend similar to its predecessors. If they cost a lot now, just imagine how much it would cost after a year.

So even if the iPhone 18 comes out late, consider the repercussions. Once it does come out, expect the iPhone 17 variants to start being offered at lowered prices since most of the attention will be on the iPhone 18.

Retailers will likely offer them at lower prices, a must since they need to clean up and prepare their inventory for the next iPhone flagship.