TrendForce reports that memory costs for the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro have risen nearly 400% year‑over‑year, and Apple is likely to raise the iPhone 18 Pro’s retail price by roughly $100 when the new lineup debuts next week. The firm says the surge in memory prices squeezes margins and may force Apple to rely more on Services revenue or accept slower upgrade cycles.
iPhone 18 Pro memory surge and pricing outlook
TrendForce says the memory bill for the 256GB Pro model in 3Q26 is nearly 400% higher than a year earlier, a rise the firm believes Apple cannot fully offset through negotiations. “For the 256GB Pro model, memory costs in 3Q26 are expected to be nearly 400% higher than a year earlier… An increase in retail prices appears increasingly unavoidable while hardware costs remain elevated,” TrendForce wrote. Apple is expected to confirm new iPhone pricing next week.
Apple has already increased prices on Mac, iPad and Apple TV models in June; the company said at the time it had delayed those increases as long as possible. So far, Apple had spared iPhone buyers from those hikes.
Current estimates cited by TrendForce point to an approximate $100 increase for the iPhone 18 Pro versus the iPhone 17 Pro. That is notably smaller than analyst Jeff Pu’s earlier estimate of a $250–$300 rise. In a separate note, Jeff Pu flagged a recent AAPL downgrade from Buy to Hold and noted that Apple’s fiscal third-quarter results beat expectations — revenue $109.4 billion (+16% year‑over‑year) and EPS $2.03 (+30% year‑over‑year) — while guiding softer for the fourth quarter.
Margin pressure, consumer behavior and investor implications
TrendForce expects Apple to lean more on Services revenue rather than pass the full 400% memory increase directly to buyers, citing cautious consumer spending as a reason to limit sticker shock. The firm also warns steeper iPhone prices could lead frequent upgraders to stretch their upgrade cycles.
Apple’s announced lease‑to‑buy Apple Upgrade program could blunt the impact by spreading higher costs across monthly payments instead of a single upfront increase. TrendForce adds that tighter hardware margins and potential price moves create market‑impact risks investors — including crypto investors tracking adoption, fundraising and token‑linked portfolios — should note. The report also mentions that AAPL shares have slipped slightly around Apple’s leadership change.
Whether Apple confirms the estimated $100 increase, and by how much, should become clear when the new iPhone lineup is officially unveiled next week.
