Update: The publication that originally posted this story has since retracted it upon being told by Samsung that the information was incorrect.
Original story below…
It might sound odd, Samsung helping out with something that would make its iPhones better, but in reality the two companies work closely as Samsung is an important part of Apple's supply chain, providing it with vital components like memory chips, OLED displays, and more.
On Apple's request, Samsung is reportedly making changes to the packaging method for the DRAM it supplies for the iPhone which would enable the smartphone to offer a much better on-device AI experience.
New iPhones with discrete memory may come in 2026
Reports out of South Korea suggest that Apple has requested Samsung to change the packaging method of the LPDDR memory that it uses for the iPhone. This would involve packaging the memory separately from the system semiconductor. The change could potentially be applied to iPhones from 2026.
The LPDDR memory is currently stacked and packaged on top of the SoC. Packaging it separately would allow for an increase in memory bandwidth, enabling better on-device AI. The current system restricts the number of I/O pins on the package, which presents limitations for bus width and channel.
Apple could have worked around this issue by using high-bandwidth memory chips for the iPhone, but those chips are primarily used in servers now due to their size and power consumption limitations. HBM chips are also very expensive and that would likely not be feasible for use in smartphones at this point in time.
The Cupertino-based company is no stranger to using discrete memory in its products, as the Macs and iPads have it. The discrete packaging allows for more I/O pins since the memory is packaged separately from the SoC. This also results in better heat regulation, and since on-device AI generates a lot of hit, this would help prevent thermal throttling as well.
