Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro will cost roughly 38% more to build than the iPhone 17 Pro for the 256GB model, driven primarily by a sharp rise in memory prices, TrendForce’s latest smartphone analysis finds.
iPhone 18 Pro: memory drives cost surge
TrendForce puts memory at about 10% of the 256GB iPhone Pro’s component cost a year ago, rising to roughly 34% in the third quarter of 2026 and surpassing 40% in the first half of 2027. The firm says memory prices have climbed five- to sevenfold since the start of 2025, making memory the dominant line item and pushing former top costs such as panel and application processor to single-digit percentages by H1 2027.
Industry and Apple responses
To limit the impact on customers and protect shipment volumes, TrendForce expects Apple to accept a reduction in gross margin—an approach it used with recent MacBook launches—and possibly raise prices on older iPhone models when the new lineup arrives to spread cost recovery across the range. The research firm also warns that Android vendors in the entry-level and mid-range segments may either increase prices more steeply or cut product lines.
Apple already raised prices across the Mac, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro lines in June citing the same memory pressures; the iPhone lineup was not included in that round but TrendForce says it is increasingly unlikely to avoid the next one. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable iPhone “Ultra” next month.
