A handful of small but real changes are coming to Apple’s next budget iPhone, with iPhone 18e rumors pointing to a new chip and a RAM configuration nobody expected. That’s why the iPhone 18e rumors matter less for their individual specs than for what they reveal about Apple’s strategy. The more affordable iPhone 18, the second-generation iPhone Air and the iPhone 18e would follow six months later. iPhone 18e RAM and chip upgradesTwo analysts say the iPhone 18e will come with 9GB of RAM — just 1GB more than the current iPhone 17e. That unusual layout, not a marketing choice, is what produces the odd 9GB total in these iPhone 18e rumors.