It will be a long time before Apple releases the iPhone 18. Still, rumors surrounding the iPhone 18 suggest that Cupertino has big plans for the iPhone 18 chipset, as the company plans to enhance its Apple Intelligence offering. According to Weibo leaker Phone Chip Expert (via mcroomers), Apple’s iPhone 18 series processors use TSMC’s next-generation 2-nanometer manufacturing process with a new packaging method with 12GB of RAM.
Currently, Apple is using TSMC’s second generation 3nm manufacturing process. The iPhone 17 is expected to improve this technology, but the next big leap forward will be the iPhone 18 and the 2nm manufacturing process.
Additionally, Apple plans to switch from integrated fan-out packaging to wafer-level multichip modules. Simply put, this method allows for tighter integration of more complex systems and custom accelerators into a single package, making iPhone faster, more reliable, and using less power.
The leaker doesn’t say whether this change will apply to all iPhone 18 models, but it does say that Apple will add 12GB of RAM to its 2026 lineup. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously reported that Apple plans to increase the memory of the iPhone 17 Pro. If this rumor is correct, it could mean that Cupertino could expand the base model iPhone 18’s RAM in 2026.
More RAM is key to improving the Apple Intelligence platform, which is expected to increase over the next two years. Currently in beta, Cupertino has high hopes that the AI technology will encourage consumers to upgrade to new devices. By 2026, Apple Intelligence will already be deeply embedded in the iPhone core, allowing Siri to control and understand context from built-in and third-party apps.
In addition, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to come with under-panel Face ID with a new front design, and the regular model will have Always-On Display and ProMotion.
Check out the latest iPhone 17 rumors below.
