Apple is preparing to raise prices to offset rising memory costs. According to The Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Cook said the company has worked to absorb much of the impact, but some price increases are ultimately unavoidable.
He didn’t say when the increases might take effect, how large they could be, or which products would be affected, the report notes. New iPhones and perhaps a Mac laptop with touchscreen are expected later this year. However, the WSJ says price hikes, particularly for Macs and iPads, could come sooner.
Cook said rising memory and storage costs remain a challenge, highlighting DRAM in particular as more supply is being allocated to HBM for AI servers. The CEO added that Apple is prepared to leverage its cash reserves to help secure additional memory supply. However, Cook said the company has no plans to use its cash reserves or chip design expertise to build its own memory or storage manufacturing facilities.
TrendForce estimates that Apple may raise the starting prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max by roughly US$150–200. Older models, including the iPhone 17 series, are likely to maintain current pricing. While higher prices could weigh on demand for the latest-generation devices, they are also expected to drive stronger demand for legacy models, according to TrendForce.
Looking at the full year, stronger-than-expected first-half sales and the pricing advantage of older-generation models should support overall shipments. As a result, TrendForce believes total iPhone production in 2027 could still exceed the more than 250 million units produced in the previous year.
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