The cheap-ish iPhone will not be on the September stage. Analyst notes relayed by MacRumors and 9to5Mac say Apple will unveil iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra first. The base iPhone 18 is expected in early 2027 with iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2. When it does arrive, Jeff Pu says it should jump to 12GB of RAM, matching last year’s Pro memory, up from 8GB in iPhone 17. Dan Nystedt has said the same. Ming-Chi Kuo still has the base model at 9GB, which would block some Apple Intelligence features. Pu agrees the 18e stays at 9GB. Both spring phones are expected to use the A20.
That RAM fight is the whole story. Apple Intelligence is now a memory tax. 12GB would let the non-Pro phone run the same on-device features as the Pro. 9GB would make “Apple Intelligence” a SKU split again. Pu’s note also flags a second Pro-level upgrade for the base 18; treat any extra camera or display claim as still in the rumor pile unless a second independent source names it.
If you were waiting to skip the Pro tax in September, the calendar just said wait until spring — and check the RAM slide when pre-orders open.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/13/base-iphone-18-two-pro-level-upgrades/
