Report: 2026 iPhone will prioritize AI upgrades by reworking RAM setup – 9to5Mac

Apple is always working on new iPhones that are multiple years out, and today a new report details a noteworthy internal change coming to the 2026 iPhone 18 lineup.

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

The iPhone 16 has been called the first model ‘built from the ground up’ for AI. But unsurprisingly, future iPhones are making even more changes to optimize for an AI-heavy future.

Seok Jin Lee at The Elec writes:

Samsung has started research to change the packaging method for the low-power double data rate DRAM used in iPhones. The South Korean tech giant’s attempt to change the integrated circuit (IC) of the LPDDR to discrete package is per Apple’s request, sources said. This means the LPDDR will be packaged separately (ie discretely) from the system semiconductor. Cupertino is planning to apply the change starting in 2026…The change to discrete package is being done to widen the bandwidth of the memory for on-device AI.

Historically, Apple has used PoP (package-on-package) setups for RAM in its iPhones. That means it has been stacked on top of the main system chip.

This approach has various advantages, but as The Elec notes, it’s not necessarily the best setup for on-device AI.

PoP is not optimal for on-device AI. Bandwidth is determined by data transfer speed, data bus width, and data transmission channels. Bus width and channel are determined by the number of I/O pins. To increase the number of pins, the package needs to become larger. But in PoP, the memory’s size is determined by the SoC, which limits the number of I/O pins on the package.

[…]

Discrete package also provides better heat regulation. On-device AI’s parallel processing causes high levels of heat. Having a larger surface for the memory allows heat to emitted in a wider surface.

Apple has used discrete packaging for Macs and iPads in the past, but since the transition to Apple silicon with the M1, it’s used PoP setups there too. It’s likely that this change for the iPhone could make its way to the Mac and iPad too.

9to5Mac’s Take

There’s one thing this report strongly implies: Apple must expect to see significant demands placed on RAM for future iPhones due to on-device AI features in the works.

Apple Intelligence only recently debuted, but as Apple and the rest of the tech world have made clear, AI will play a big part in our computing future. And whatever Apple has in the works now for new software, its 2026 iPhone 18 hardware needs to be ready.

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

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