Earlier this month Google released the Pixel 9 series, with a significant RAM boost — jumping to 12GB on the Pixel 9 and 16GB on the Pro models. Google said this was done to help power on-device AI, and it had some people wondering whether Apple might do the same with iPhone 16. But apparently we won’t start seeing this until at least next year.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that we won’t be seeing any extra RAM until the launch of the iPhone 17 series in 2025. But, Kuo refuted previous rumors that all 4 iPhone 17s would get this upgrade — instead claiming that it’ll be exclusive to iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Kuo also claims that the 17 Pro Max will feature a brand new cooling system that combines graphite sheets with vapor chamber technology. That should help prevent heat build-up, and may see the phone capable of safely performing better and more complicated tasks as a result. Which would explain the extra RAM to try and facilitate this.
Sadly this enhanced cooling system design will apparently a Pro Max exclusive too, with the rest of the iPhone 17 reportedly relying on graphite sheets for cooling.
We have a long time to wait until the iPhone 17 series launches, but thankfully the iPhone 16 launch is imminent — with Apple confirming its “Glowtime” event for September 9. That’s where we’ll see the launch of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, alongside other products like the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Be sure to check out our Apple event hub for a rundown on everything we expect to see on the day.
More from Tom's Guide
- Wait for the iPhone 17? Here's why you shouldn't put off an iPhone 16 upgrade
- iPhone 16 battery rumors — these are the upgrades we could see
- New iOS 18.1 beta adds more Apple Intelligence features — here’s what’s available on the iPhone
