iPhone 12 spec leak reveals what Apple doesn't want you to know

(Image credit: Jonas Daehnert)
  • The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max will reportedly feature 6GB of RAM, the most ever in an iPhone.
  • The lower cost iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 would get 4GB of RAM; all of last year's iPhones used 4GB of RAM and iPhone SE 2020 has 3GB.
  • Apple does not publish how much RAM its phones have in its tech specs and this info is typically confirmed via teardowns. 

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have had their RAM specs leaked — 4GB and 6GB respectively. This is info Apple never lists on its tech specs, but if true 6GB would be the most RAM ever on an iPhone. 

This claim, which backs up previous rumors, comes from established Twitter leaker l0vetodream. Tweeting in their trademark cryptic style, l0vetodream made the statement you can see below. 

Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of figuring out if you've been following the rumors and leaks for the iPhone 12 closely.

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If you aren't convinced by this strange tweet, then another leaker, Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech, has also put his weight behind the claim.

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For comparison with the current crop of iPhones, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max all use 4GB, while the budget iPhone SE (2020) uses 3GB. So while the standard iPhone 12 isn't getting any more memory, the two iPhone 12 Pro models are receiving a 50% increase - which will prove to be useful when running multiple, performance-intensive apps.

It's possible you're confused about why these numbers are so small. iPhones don't sell themselves on the quantity of RAM they contain. In fact, Apple never releases official figures for how much RAM is in each iPhone model, leaving it to unofficial teardowns to crack open the phone and see what size RAM chips they contain.

While 6GB RAM is a lot less than the 12GB you see in many flagship Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series or the OnePlus 8 Pro, this likely won't hurt the iPhone 12's performance. Apple instead puts a lot more focus on making its chipsets  more powerful than the equivalent Snapdragon 8-series chips that OnePlus, Samsung and others use. With the iPhone 12 series expected to use the latest Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip, we expect this trend to continue.

Better performance on the latest iteration of a smartphone is always good. But there are some other reasons why you should be paying attention to the iPhone 12 launch, which will likely happen this year in September or October. There will be four versions to choose from, ranging in size from 5.4 inches to 6.7 inches, and all with OLED displays and the option for 5G connectivity. 

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are particularly interesting, as they may also feature the first 120Hz displays fitted to an iPhone. They are also set to build on the awesome triple camera of the iPhone 11 Pro by adding a LiDAR depth sensor for even better photography effects and to help make AR applications work better.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.