Report: Apple plans major chip and memory upgrades for the iPhone 18 series

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Apple is preparing to implement a comprehensive hardware upgrade for the iPhone 18 series, including its first 2nm chip, a new generation of in-house 5G modem, and increased standard memory, while reportedly planning to maintain its current pricing.

According to media reports, the iPhone 18 series will be equipped with Apple’s first self-developed chip based on 2nm process technology. The entire series will come standard with 12GB of memory, a significant leap over current models. At the same time, the second-generation C2 5G modem chip will be launched, with hopes of supporting millimeter wave frequency for the first time, as well as introducing the new generation N2 wireless connectivity module.

If these upgrades are introduced alongside the unchanged pricing strategy, Apple's competitive advantage in the mid-to-high-end smartphone market will be significantly strengthened.

With substantial hardware improvements and high memory prices, whether Apple can maintain its price freeze remains undetermined. Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities previously said that Apple’s strong service business profitability provides space to absorb rising costs, but whether prices will ultimately increase remains to be seen upon official announcement.

First 2nm Chip Debuts

The iPhone 18 series will be equipped with Apple's first self-developed chip based on 2nm process technology.

The standard iPhone 18 will feature the A20 chip, while the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will use the more powerful A20 Pro, continuing the previous strategy of differentiated chips between lower and higher-end models.

It is noteworthy that, even though the basic version of the iPhone 18 will have some downgraded features (including lowered screen specs), Apple still plans to equip the entire series with the optimal core configuration to boost the appeal of standard models.

12GB Memory Standard, Full Iteration of Modem and Wireless Connectivity

The standard 12GB RAM across the entire series is one of the core highlights of this upgrade.

Larger memory capacity will directly improve the device’s smoothness when running AI instructions locally, which is of substantive importance to its edge AI strategy. It will also improve background app retention and provide more memory resources for gaming graphics optimization.

On the modem side, Apple plans to launch the C2 as the successor to the C1 and C1X. C2 is expected to become Apple’s first self-developed modem supporting millimeter wave, and will bring enhanced satellite connectivity through the new NR-NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) standard.

In addition, the new generation N2 wireless network module will also make its debut with the iPhone 18 series, but the specific performance improvement over the N1 is still unclear in the market.

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