Next Samsung flagship phone may ship with less memory than today's

Your next Android phone could come with less memory than your current one. Rumors say Samsung's Galaxy S27 series may start with 8GB of RAM instead of 12GB. Other Android brands may cut memory too, with some low-cost models going back to 4GB. The blame falls on the AI industry, which is said to be causing a RAM shortage.

What the rumors say

RAM is the short-term memory a phone uses to keep apps running side by side. A leaker on Twitter/X, @kro_roe, says the base Galaxy S27 will start at 8GB. The Galaxy S25 and S26 both started at 12GB, with a 16GB option on some Ultra versions. The leak shows 12GB on the Pro and Ultra tiers.

The same leaker says price increases "may be unavoidable." Deals like doubled storage may also be missing during pre-orders. Some models may use different versions of UFS storage, a type of phone storage, to hold costs down. The Galaxy S26 used UFS 4.0 on every model.

Cheaper phones may feel it more

A second leaker, on Weibo, says "several" other Android brands are making cuts. Top phones would drop to 12GB, main mid-range models to 8GB and entry-level ones to 6GB. Most lower-cost phones would go back to 4GB.

That matters because 12GB or 16GB is normal in a high-end phone, 8GB in mid-range and about 6GB in entry-level. Even budget models have moved to 6GB in recent years because Android does not run well on 4GB anymore.

What is not known yet

These are rumors from leakers. Nothing here comes from Samsung. One report claims Samsung makes no profit when it sells a Galaxy device, which hints at the pressure on costs. Final specs and prices are not known. The source says only that everything is getting more expensive.

What to do

• Check the RAM number on the spec sheet before you buy any Android phone.
• Be wary of 4GB models, since Android runs poorly on that much memory.
• Expect that pre-order deals may be thinner than in past years.