Apple confirms every iPhone 16 model comes with 8GB of RAM inside – matching the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

An upgrade for some models

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Nearly a week afterthe grand unveilingof theiPhone 16series,Applehas finally confirmed one of the key specs for these new flagship phones: all of the models in the range are fitted with 8GB of RAM.

As spotted by9to5Mac, Apple executive Johny Srouji confirmed the 8GB amount in an interviewwith Geekerwan. Apple doesn’t include RAM in the official spec sheets for its iPhones, for whatever reason, so some detective work is usually required to establish how much memory these handsets have inside.

A few days ago, code spotted in an official Apple developer tool suggested that all the iPhone 16 models were indeed fittedwith 8GB of RAM, and now we have confirmation. Last year theiPhone 15 ProandiPhone 15 Pro Maxhad 8GB of RAM inside, while theiPhone 15andiPhone 15 Plusmade do with 6GB.

That means it’s an upgrade for the iPhone 16 and theiPhone 16 Plus– but theiPhone 16 ProandiPhone 16 Pro Maxhaven’t got any extra RAM this year. It also means there’s less of a distinction between the standard and the Pro models.

Specs compared

The lack of a RAM boost is a little disappointing, especially consideringApple Intelligenceis on the verge of rolling out: AI tasks take up a lot of memory, especially when the processing is done on device, so extra RAM definitely helps there.

It also means Apple’s phones are well behind their Android competitors when it comes to this particular spec. The newly launchedGoogle Pixel 9, for example, is fitted with 12GB of RAM, and while theSamsung Galaxy S24has 8GB of RAM inside, theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultraups that to 12GB.

However, these raw specs don’t necessarily tell the whole story: as Apple has full control over every part of the iPhone design and architecture, it’s often able to add optimizations and tweaks that make up for lower-level specs. Battery capacity is another example of this – iPhones can often match their rivals on battery life, even with smaller batteries.

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WithiOS 18rolling out tomorrow and Apple Intelligence appearingshortly after that, we’ll have to wait and see how this 8GB of RAM affects software performance. In the meantime, check out ouriPhone 16 hands-on review.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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