iPhone 14 Pro could have as much RAM as... your average Android phone

iPhone 13 Pro
(Image credit: TechRadar)

iPhones rarely have as much RAM as their Android rivals - while this is okay, as iOS is a less memory-hungry operating system than Android, we do sometimes feel that Apple's smartphones could do with extra power for more demanding tasks. Thankfully, that could change with the iPhone 14.

A reliable leaker on Korean social media network Naver has made the claim that the iPhone 14 Pro will get 8GB of RAM - this actually backs up a rumor we've already heard, though the source sounded uncertain then.

Previously, iPhones have topped out at 6GB of RAM, which is enough for most purposes, and even for photo editing and gaming we've typically found it's just fine. Some rumors suggest all the iPhone 14 models will get 6GB of RAM though, so take this news with a pinch of salt.

It's worth pointing out, though, that while 8GB is good for Apple, it's not great in the wider smartphone world. In fact, even your mid-range Android phone can often go up to 12GB RAM, with many mid-tier mobiles providing 8GB RAM and few if any dipping below it. So this won't exactly set Apple ahead of the pack by miles.

What does RAM do in a smartphone? Well, it's basically the short-term memory of any tech gadget, which handles what tasks you're doing at any given time. RAM is useful up to a certain amount, but you're unlikely to be doing any super-intensive processes on a smartphone that would require as much RAM as a gaming console or computer.

Some of the most demanding tasks on a smartphone including video and image editing, and gaming, but 8GB of RAM is certainly enough for all those tasks.


Analysis: Apple might not tell us

If Apple does decide to up the iPhone 14 Pro's RAM by 2GB over its predecessor, then there's a good chance it won't ever tell us.

At iPhone launches, Apple details most of the new changes and specs, as well as the eye-catching features, but there are things it doesn't delve into too. For example, we never see the company announce the battery capacity for new iPhones, and we're left waiting for people to take apart their iPhone to find out that way.

RAM is another aspect that Apple generally doesn't disclose, and again teardowns are how we find out this information.

So we might have to wait until after the iPhone 14 launch to find out if the Pro and Pro Max have got 8GB of RAM - or find out they didn't, if that's the case.

Via AppleInsider

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.