Apple may significantly raise prices for its future iPhone lineup due to rising memory chip costs. Analysts estimate that the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro could reach $1,399. MacRumors reported this, citing an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.
Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the company is not immune to the sharp rise in memory chip prices. Asked which devices would become more expensive and when, he said the company is “still working through that.” More detailed explanations are expected with the launch of the next iPhone lineup in September.
The possible price increase is linked to a global shortage of DRAM and NAND flash memory. The shortage has been driven largely by growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers, which are competing for the same components as consumer electronics manufacturers.
According to TechInsights, prices for DRAM and flash memory could rise roughly fourfold by the fall compared with last year. Analysts estimate that Apple paid about $39 for 12GB of DRAM in the iPhone 17 Pro, while that cost could rise to $145 for the iPhone 18 Pro. The cost of 256GB of flash storage could increase from around $13 to $51.
Overall, TechInsights estimates Apple’s component and manufacturing costs for the base iPhone 17 Pro, excluding memory, at roughly $530. Including DRAM and flash storage, the model’s bill of materials was about $582. For the iPhone 18 Pro, that figure could rise by 25% to around $726.
Analysts estimate that the current iPhone 17 Pro, which starts at $1,099, carries a gross margin of about 47%. To maintain the same margin on the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple would need to set the price at around $1,371. However, because of Apple’s preference for standardized pricing, a $1,299 starting price is considered more likely.
At the same time, that estimate does not include a new camera system. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said it could cost Apple about 50% more than the previous generation. Taking that into account, The Wall Street Journal estimates that the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,399 or even higher.
If the forecast proves accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro would become $200–300 more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 18 Pro Max would likely cost another $100 more than the Pro version.
The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be unveiled alongside the foldable iPhone Ultra, whose starting price was previously estimated at around $2,000.
