Apple reportedly considered giving the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and iPhone Duo 16GB of RAM before settling on a lower capacity. The claim comes from leaker Instant Digital, who posted the information on Weibo without specifying when Apple evaluated the larger memory configuration.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max currently feature 12GB of RAM, according to information found in Xcode 27. That matches the memory capacity used in the iPhone 17 Pro models. The foldable iPhone Duo is also expected to include 12GB, although the Xcode data used to confirm the Pro models does not yet cover that device.

Why the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to use 12GB

Reports about 12GB of RAM for the iPhone 18 lineup appeared well before the latest claim about Apple's earlier plans. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the capacity in April 2025, while analyst Jeff Pu gave the same forecast for the Pro models and Apple's first foldable iPhone in January.

A March report from The Bell said Samsung would supply 12GB memory modules for the iPhone Duo. Taken together, those reports suggest that 12GB was not a last-minute specification, even if Apple had previously examined a 16GB design.

Memory shortages may have changed Apple's plans

Rising memory prices appear to be the most likely reason for the reported change. The earlier report about Samsung's supply arrangement described sharply increasing prices for 12GB modules. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also reported that higher memory costs prompted Apple to discuss raising the starting price of its foldable iPhone.

Kuo separately said that DRAM shortages were forcing Apple to reduce its 2026 hardware shipment plans. Those supply pressures could make a 16GB configuration harder to justify, particularly for a new foldable model that is already expected to carry higher component and manufacturing costs.

iPhone Duo availability

Apple's newsroom announcement says iPhone Duo pre-orders will begin October 16, with availability following on October 23. Apple has not been identified as confirming the reported 16GB configuration, and Instant Digital's post does not explain whether the capacity was dropped across both product families at the same stage of development.

For buyers, the practical takeaway is that the iPhone 18 Pro models are currently associated with 12GB of RAM, while the Duo's capacity remains based on reports rather than publicly available Xcode evidence. The final specifications for the foldable should provide a clearer answer when Apple releases more information.