Counterpoint Research predicts higher component costs for iPhone 18 Pro Max
A Counterpoint Research analysis forecasts that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a substantially higher bill of materials than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, driven mainly by rising NAND and DRAM prices.
Counterpoint Research released an estimate indicating that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost considerably more to manufacture than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. The firm compared the bill of materials for the 1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max with projected component costs for the 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The analysis highlights a sharp increase in NAND flash and DRAM prices, which Counterpoint attributes to ongoing component shortages that began late last year. It also points to the anticipated 2nm system-on-chip and its advanced packaging as additional cost drivers. According to the estimate, the combined cost of NAND and DRAM for the iPhone 18 Pro Max could nearly equal the total bill of materials of the current model, which includes the processor, camera, display and other parts.
Counterpoint expects the cost of the display and some other components to decline, while the camera cost may rise slightly because of a new variable-aperture main camera. The firm notes that Apple is likely to adjust retail prices differently across storage options to protect profit margins on higher-capacity models, even as the average retail price is projected to increase by about $200, resulting in slimmer overall margins.
"Apple is expected to apply different retail price increases across different storage variants, to avoid the loss of gross profit on large-capacity models," the report states.
The full Counterpoint report is available for review.