Apple paying 400% more for iPhone 18 Pro memory, says TrendForce

A new report from market intelligence firm TrendForce indicates that Apple will be paying four times the amount for memory in the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro compared to last year's model. The company is expected to pass on part of the increased cost to customers, but will likely rely more on its Services revenue to offset the higher hardware manufacturing expenses.

Apple announced substantial price hikes across its product lineup in June, stating that it had exhausted all options before being forced to do so. While previous iPhone price increases did not include updates to existing models, this change is anticipated next week. TrendForce attributes the memory cost surge to the new iPhone models, with the 256GB Pro version's memory expenses projected to be nearly 400% higher in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

Despite Apple's attempts to secure lower prices for other components, these savings are not expected to fully counterbalance the overall BOM cost pressures. Retail price increases seem inevitable while hardware costs remain elevated. It is not likely that Apple will fully pass on the full increase in memory costs for the iPhone.

Estimates suggest an approximate $100 price hike from the iPhone 17 Pro model, as significant price jumps tend to discourage frequent upgrades even among Apple's most dedicated users. TrendForce predicts that the iPhone Ultra, Apple's first folding device, may start at around $2,299, with the highest configuration exceeding $3,000.