The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are rumored to get a RAM specifications bump this year that involves going from 6GB to 8GB. However, there is a possibility of Apple sourcing faster memory for this year’s models, as suggested by the latest forecast report talking about the future of DRAM solutions.
Apple could switch from LPDDR5 to LPDDR5X, though a separate rumor claims this change will happen with the iPhone 16 launch next year
A forecast from TrendForce highlights that server DRAM is expected to overtake mobile DRAM supply in 2023. In the entire report, the research firm talks about Apple’s plans to use upgraded RAM, though it did not provide the exact specifications of the technology expected to be used in the upcoming iPhone 15 series.
“Furthermore, Apple will bump up the capacity and specifications of the DRAM solutions featured in the next generation of the iPhone that is scheduled for release this year. Taking these latest factors into consideration, TrendForce estimates that the YoY growth rate of the average DRAM content of smartphones will reach around 6.7% for 2023. This projection is a significant improvement compared with the YoY growth rate of 3.9% for 2022. However, TrendForce also forecasts that the YoY growth rate will stay under 10% in the next several years.”
Looking at the terms TrendForce used, we should assume that Apple will increase the RAM to 8GB on its iPhone 15 lineup, but whether this change will just be for the ‘Pro’ models is something we do not know for now. To remind you, Apple upgraded to LPDDR5 RAM technology on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max for the first time, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus were retained at LPDDR4X. However, all four models feature 6GB RAM.
The statement used in the forecast report suggests that Apple could switch from LPDDR5 RAM to LPDDR5X RAM, and that too might be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, Apple likes to take its time adopting the latest standards, which is why even the latest 2023 MacBook Pro family does not feature LPDDR5X RAM. In fact, an earlier rumor claimed that Apple would only switch to the more advanced memory standard in 2024 when it unveils the iPhone 16 series, so there is that.
It could be that TrendForce wanted to state that the iPhone 15 would feature a RAM count bump, but regardless of what the report suggests, we want our readers to treat this information with a pinch of salt. It would be refreshing to see Apple move to newer technology like its rival Samsung, but given that the technology giant just moved to LPDDR5 on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in 2022, upgrading to LPDDR5X seems unlikely in 2023.
News Source: TrendForce
