Apple has shown the list of new products it will introduce by the end of 2026, and iPhone 18 is not on that list. The base model has been quietly pushed back to spring 2027, so don’t expect it alongside the fall Pro models. However, the first iPhone 18 specifications have already leaked online, and one detail will disappoint fans of the updated Siri in advance: even with the added RAM, iPhone 18 won’t handle two iOS 27 features that Apple has reserved for the higher-end models.
iPhone 18 will miss out on two important iOS 27 features
How Much RAM Will iPhone 18 Have
According to insiders, iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will get 9 GB of RAM instead of the current 8 GB. The increase is symbolic but necessary: the new AI features simply didn’t have enough memory, and Apple raised the bar by the minimum. We’ve already covered in detail how much RAM the iPhone 18 will have and how this will affect the price.
iPhone 18 will get a rather unusual amount of RAM — just 9 GB
The problem is that the higher-end models go significantly further. iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra will retain 12 GB of RAM, just like the current Pro models. It’s precisely this gap in iPhone 18 specifications that determines which iOS 27 features the base iPhones will get and which will remain exclusive to the expensive versions. And spoiler: the gap is not in your favor.
How to Customize Siri’s Voice in iOS 27
The first feature that won’t be available on iPhone 18 is Siri voice customization. In iOS 27, the assistant has learned to change expressiveness and speech tempo to sound more lively, natural, and less like a robot from the 2000s. Sounds great, but the feature turned out to be resource-hungry: it only works on the advanced local Apple Intelligence model, and that model requires at least 12 GB of RAM.
The new smartphone won’t get an important Siri setting
That’s exactly why 9 GB in the base iPhone 18 doesn’t save the situation. Voice customization will remain the prerogative of Pro versions and the foldable Ultra, while iPhone 18 owners will have to settle for standard Siri. It’s frustrating, because on paper the smartphone supports iOS 27 in its entirety.
Improved Dictation in iOS 27
The second feature that iPhone 18 will lack is a significantly new dictation in iOS 27 — improved voice-to-text conversion. Apple promises a major leap in speech recognition: fewer typos, better punctuation, and more confident handling of long phrases. And this is precisely the case where all processing happens right on the device, without the cloud. Which means we once again hit the same 12 GB RAM requirement.
Why iPhone 18 will be left without dictation — very strange
The conclusion is simple and a bit sad: both features are tied to hardware, not the system version. Formally, the base iPhone 18 will get iOS 27 without any issues, but these two items in settings will simply be absent. You won’t be able to buy them for an extra fee or enable them through workarounds.
iPhone 18 or iPhone 17 — What to Buy Now
This leads to the natural question of “iPhone 18 or iPhone 17 — which is better.” In terms of AI capabilities, the answer is already obvious: Pro wins hands down. But there’s a nuance more serious than Siri itself. There’s data suggesting that cheap iPhones in their usual form may not exist at all, and the iPhone 18 itself risks being not an upgrade but a step sideways.
We’ve been saying for a long time that iPhone 17 is the best choice today
We’ve already explained in detail why it’s worth considering iPhone 17 and not waiting for iPhone 18: the base model of the new generation may be cut back on display and graphics, while the price could go up by $100-200. So if you need an iPhone right now, waiting until spring 2027 for two features that won’t be on the base model anyway doesn’t make much sense. iPhone 17 looks far more sensible in this scenario.
