Apple may raise iPhone 18 Pro price to $1,399 amid rising memory costs
Apple confirmed upcoming price hikes across its iPhone lineup due to higher memory chip costs, and analysts estimate the iPhone 18 Pro could start at about $1,399.
Apple said it will increase prices for its iPhone range as the cost of memory chips climbs. The Wall Street Journal, citing research firm TechInsights, estimates the base iPhone 18 Pro could be priced as high as $1,399.
Apple CEO Tim Cook told the newspaper that the company is feeling the impact of soaring DRAM and NAND flash costs and that details on which models will be affected will be clarified with the September launch.
The price pressure stems from a global shortage of DRAM and NAND flash, driven by AI data centers demanding the same components. Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology have shifted production toward enterprise-grade memory, tightening supply for consumer devices.
TechInsights projects that DRAM and flash prices may quadruple by the fall compared with last year. It estimates Apple paid roughly $39 for the 12 GB of DRAM in the iPhone 17 Pro, a cost that could rise to $145 in the iPhone 18 Pro. The 256 GB flash storage tier, which cost about $13 in the previous model, could increase to $51.
Excluding memory, the component and manufacturing cost of the iPhone 17 Pro is about $530; adding memory brings the total bill of materials to around $582. For the iPhone 18 Pro, total costs are projected to rise 25% to approximately $726.
TechInsights calculates a gross margin of about 47% for the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro. To maintain a similar margin on the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple would need to charge roughly $1,371, but the newspaper notes Apple’s tendency toward round pricing makes a $1,299 starting price more probable, yielding a 44% margin.
Supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates the new camera system could cost Apple about 50% more than the prior generation. Incorporating that expense, the Wall Street Journal suggests a starting price of $1,399 or higher.
If set at that level, the iPhone 18 Pro would be $200-$300 more than the iPhone 17 Pro, with the Pro Max expected to start about $100 above the Pro price. The models are slated to launch alongside a rumored foldable "iPhone Ultra" expected to begin near $2,000.
