Samsung Estimated To Introduce A 16GB RAM Upgrade To Its Galaxy S26 Series In 2026, Claims Research Firm, While Apple’s iPhone Range Will Remain Unchanged In These Specifications

The countless criticism received by Samsung surrounding the gimped specifications of its Galaxy S24 lineup eventually encouraged the company to introduce 12GB RAM as standard on all Galaxy S25 models, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra being the only outlier that shipped with 16GB RAM, but this specific model was exclusive to Korea, China, and Taiwan. As on-device AI adoption increases, so will the high memory requirements, which is why one research firm strongly anticipates that Samsung will bring a 16GB RAM upgrade to the Galaxy S26 family in 2026.

New data also expects Apple to keep its iPhone RAM count limited to 12GB, but it could still be better at multitasking than the Galaxy S26 series with 16GB RAM

Data from Macquarie Research suggests that Samsung will increase the total memory on its Galaxy S26 models in early 2026. The tipster @Jukanlosreve got a hold of this information, and assuming Samsung proceeds with these claims, it should put the company in a better position with Chinese rivals, which have gone ‘all out’ in equipping devices with the best-in-class hardware available.

A 16GB RAM upgrade on all Galaxy S26 models means that even the base model can support more on-device AI features, not to mention being able to keep more apps running in the background, and enabling better multitasking. As for Apple, the research firm does not expect the Cupertino firm to bring a RAM upgrade to its iPhones, with the data stating that the company will retain its models at 12GB.

Macquarie expects that the RAM capacity of the Galaxy S series will increase to 16GB in 2026.

Meanwhile, the iPhone’s RAM is expected to rise to 12GB in 2025, but remain at 12GB in 2026 as well. pic.twitter.com/bz26rbTYQR

— Jukan Choi (@Jukanlosreve) June 23, 2025

The aforementioned upgrade is scheduled to arrive for the iPhone 17 series later this year, but the base model could still ship with 8GB of memory, giving the Galaxy S26 family an edge, at least in one area. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also suggested that the entire iPhone 18 lineup will ship with 12GB RAM, highlighting that even the base model could be treated to this upgrade.

It appears that the generative AI boom has compelled technology companies like Samsung and Apple to take the hardware specifications of its devices more seriously, with the RAM bump arriving to the Galaxy S26 range potentially contributing to an increase in sales for future quarters.