The iPhone 18 could get more expensive due to rising memory costs

Some iPhone 18 models will cost more than their iPhone 17 predecessors. According to South Korean leaker yeux1122, the analysis is based on forecasts from major financial organizations: Citigroup, Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Research. The reason for the price hike will be an unprecedented increase in the cost of RAM and storage components.

• Models with higher memory capacity will go up in price, basic versions will remain at the same price
• Memory prices rise due to shortages due to demand from AI companies
• iPhone 18 Pro will be released in September, other models in spring 2027

Memory gets more expensive, prices rise

Predictions from leading financial services indicate that rising RAM and NAND storage prices will directly impact the iPhone 18. Despite Apple’s strong supply chain control and negotiating power, an unprecedented jump in memory costs will inevitably increase the company’s costs. Apple will most likely pass some of this increase on to consumers. According to preliminary reports, iPhone 18 models with low-capacity memory will have the same price as last year, while higher-capacity versions will increase in price. The size of the price jump will increase with each successive storage tier, so buyers can expect to pay higher prices than ever before for higher-capacity variants.

The price hike will increase with each successive storage tier, so consumers can expect to pay higher prices than ever before for higher-capacity variants.

All manufacturers are being forced to raise prices

Apple probably won’t be the only one to raise prices on its products, as the rising cost of memory and storage components has left companies with little choice. The only alternative is for manufacturers themselves to absorb the cost increases, and Apple is partially doing that by keeping the price of base models the same. This is likely to have a negative impact on demand, and analyst firms are already expecting a drop in shipments this year. Memory prices have risen due to shortages caused by increased demand from artificial intelligence companies, and are expected to rise further over the next two years.

Freedom Capital Markets managing director and head of technology research Paul Meeks previously said the jump would be too significant not to affect Apple. He said the rise in the cost of memory components over the next two years would be so significant that it would affect even a company the size of Apple. Xiaomi and Samsung have also hinted that their future products will go up in price. In November, Apple CFO Kevan Parekh confirmed that rising memory prices are making new products more expensive to produce, but emphasized that the company is managing costs well.

Apple’s chief financial officer, Kevan Parekh, has said that the company is managing costs well.

New features could justify price hikes

Apple plans to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the first foldable iPhone in September. The remaining models will go on sale in the spring of 2027. The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to get a 2nm A20 Pro chip, a variable aperture for the main camera giving users more control over photography, and possibly a larger capacity battery. One of the main chips of both flagships could be a redesigned front panel with a capsule-shaped hole on the left side for the front camera. Apple has signed a deal with Google to implement artificial intelligence features on the iPhone, and while the iPhone 15 Pro and more advanced models already support AI, Apple is likely to reserve at least some features for the iPhone 18 Pro. These changes could justify a price hike for a certain group of buyers, while others will stick with the base options or skip this generation altogether.