In a recent exchange, Apple leaders informed that the company could not avoid the impact from the escalating price of memory chips. Accordingly, Apple is still considering adjusting prices and may announce more information when launching the new iPhone in September.
According to research firm TechInsights, the price of DRAM memory chips and NAND storage is expected to increase about 4 times compared to last year. The reason is that AI data centers are consuming a large amount of memory chips, while manufacturers such as Samsung and Micron prioritize resources for the AI server market, causing smartphone supply to shrink.
TechInsights estimates that the production cost of iPhone 18 Pro will increase by about 25%, from 582 USD for iPhone 17 Pro to about 726 USD. If Apple wants to maintain the current profit margin, it will have to sell iPhone 18 Pro for about 1,371 USD. However, new predictions suggest that the company is likely to choose a starting price of 1,299 USD.
This price also does not include the new camera system, which is forecast by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo to be about 50% more expensive than the previous generation.
If this factor is added, the starting price of iPhone 18 Pro may be up to 1,399 USD or higher, an increase of 200 - 300 USD compared to the current iPhone 17 Pro.
