The cost of components for the 1TB version of iPhone 18 Pro Max is forecast to increase by nearly 300 USD compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to analysis by Counterpoint Research. This increases the possibility that Apple will have to adjust the selling price of the high-end iPhone line in the near future.
In which, the cost of NAND flash memory is said to have exceeded 250 USD, and the price of DRAM has also increased sharply due to the scarcity of memory chips, as demand from AI data centers continues to explode.
The next major factor is Apple's plan to switch to A20 Pro chips manufactured on TSMC's 2nm (N2) process. The new technology has significantly higher production costs than the current process, especially in the early stages when production efficiency is not stable.
In the opposite direction, Counterpoint believes that the cost of screens and some other components may decrease, helping to partially compensate for the increase. Camera costs are also forecast to increase only slightly, likely related to the changing aperture technology on the main camera.
The report was released after Apple just increased the price of a series of products such as Mac, iPad, Apple TV and Vision Pro with the reason of rising memory chip prices. Although the iPhone has not been adjusted in this phase, analysts believe that the iPhone 18 Pro line is likely to be the next product under price pressure if component costs continue to rise.
