TrendForce says a 400% memory cost spike will push Apple's Pro pricing up

Apple will raise the price of its iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by 10% to 20% when the phones hit the market on September 9, TrendForce said this week.

That comes after a spike in memory costs that made the chips in the Pro about four times as expensive for Apple as they were a year ago, the first major price increase for the Pro in two years.

A 256GB Pro’s bill of materials is up 38% this year

TrendForce estimates the cost of memory for the 256GB Pro model will be almost 400% higher in the third quarter of 2026 than the same quarter last year. The research says the cheaper prices Apple negotiated on other parts aren’t enough to offset it.

Cryptopolitan reported that J.P. Morgan Global Research expects DRAM prices to rise 400% or more in 2026 as hyperscalers lock in long-term supply deals and manufacturers of consumer devices have to battle for the rest of the supply.

TrendForce expects Apple to absorb part of the cost through thinner margins. The company’s June forecast put the increase at 14% to 18%, before the firm’s current estimate settled on 10% to 20%.

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