As Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is set to convene early tomorrow morning, all news related to iOS18 has reached the final stage of leaks. It is widely known that Apple will dedicate at least half of the conference time to discussing AI, and it has also been confirmed that only iPhone 15 Pro and above can support the AI features in iOS18. However, many people are still unclear about the reason for this limitation. After all, the A-series chips have been highly praised, yet they cannot even support the AI features in the new system, which is indeed a bit puzzling. But on the eve of iOS18's release, the mystery was finally solved.

It is reported that the AI features in iOS18 require at least 8GB of RAM to support, which means that the iPhone 15 Pro just meets this basic requirement. On the iPad side, at least the M1 version of the iPad can support it. Apple's plan to develop AI is certainly not a whim, but they still only equipped the iPhone 15 Pro series with 8GB of RAM. It is evident that Apple not only aims to maximize the value of the hardware but also to provide upgradability for subsequent iPhone models.

According to this line of reasoning, the iPhone 16 series should upgrade its RAM to allow for greater AI functionality. However, online leaks suggest that all iPhone 16 models will be equipped with 8GB of RAM, meaning that the Pro version will remain unchanged, while the two standard versions will be upgraded from 6GB to 8GB. To fully utilize AI features, users will have to wait until next year's iPhone 17 series, as it is rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro's RAM will be increased to 12GB.

Frankly speaking, even users of Apple's competitors may find this situation hard to swallow. Apple knows that 8GB of RAM can affect AI performance, yet when introducing AI features in iOS18, they still equipped the entire iPhone 16 series with 8GB of RAM. This level of frugality is indeed rare. Apple's actions can only prove one thing: the AI features in iOS18 are not fully ready. However, they had to rush to release a version with less-than-stellar functionality to avoid falling behind their competitors and reduce hardware pressure.

Moreover, Apple's "golden" RAM will not be easily upgraded due to rising costs and stagnant prices. Therefore, they would rather sacrifice user experience to save on costs. Why, then, will the iPhone 17 be able to use 12GB of RAM next year (most likely only the iPhone 17 Pro will have 12GB of RAM)? Considering costs, next year's top flagship models from competitors are expected to start with 16GB of RAM, which will drive down the cost of 12GB RAM. It will be more cost-effective for Apple to use it.

Of course, everyone is eagerly awaiting how Apple will explain this issue tomorrow morning, or perhaps Apple will avoid addressing the concerns and focus solely on introducing the AI features themselves. After all, saying too much could arouse user dissatisfaction, while remaining silent may cause users to gradually forget about it over time.

How often do you use AI features on your phone?