Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup looks set for some noticeable changes—even the standard iPhone model might surprise people this time. Reports say the iPhone 18 and the more budget-friendly iPhone 18e both get RAM upgrades, and that boost should give Apple’s AI features a nice lift. Analyst Jeff Pu is behind much of this info.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: What to expect?
Apple plans to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September, but the regular iPhone 18 might not show up until spring 2027, debuting alongside the iPhone 18e. One of the big design changes this time? A smaller Dynamic Island. That same update is expected on the Pro versions too.
No infrared projector in iPhone 18
The report says Apple could move the infrared projector under the AMOLED display. If that happens, you will only see the front camera and infrared camera inside the pill-shaped cutout- Face ID hardware stays put, but less of it is visible.
Smaller Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island might shrink to about a third of its current size, reclaiming more screen for everything else. That means more space to show background tasks—music playback, navigation info, and so on—right around the Dynamic Island. If Apple follows through and brings this redesign to the standard iPhone 18, that’s a pretty solid upgrade over today’s entry-level model.
RAM and storage
Now, about RAM. Apple is reportedly upping the RAM on these new models. There’s been some debate over whether the iPhone 18 gets 9GB or 12GB, but Jeff Pu says both numbers are accurate—they just apply to different phones. The iPhone 18e will get 9GB, while the regular iPhone 18 could see 12GB. With 12GB, the standard iPhone 18 would match the expected memory in the Pro and Pro Max models.
AI features in iPhone 18
More RAM means Apple can push harder on device-based AI features. Devices with more memory handle heavy AI processing a lot better.
All told, the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are still a ways off, so none of this is set in stone yet. It’s early days—these are leaks and rumours, not final specs. But if even some of these changes land, the next standard iPhone could be a more interesting upgrade than usual.
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