Apple poised to unveil most expensive iPhone yet, fuelled by memory price surge

TrendForce says 20 per cent increase is “moderate”, with memory costs for 256-gigabyte iPhone 18 Pro model up nearly 400 per cent in a year Apple’s next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro, could cost as much as US$1,319 for the base configuration as skyrocketing memory costs push smartphone prices to record highs, according to a recent report. Prices for the new iPhone line-up were projected to rise by 10 to 20 per cent, driven by soaring memory costs, market research firm TrendForce said in a report released on Thursday. Compared with the baselines of US$1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro and US$1,199 for its Pro Max variant, consumers would be facing a substantial price increase. However, TrendForce said the increase represented a “moderate pricing approach” by Apple, given that memory costs for the 256-gigabyte iPhone 18 Pro model were estimated to be nearly 400 per cent higher than at this time last year. Apple would absorb part of the soaring component prices to maintain market share, amid a weak global macroeconomic environment and more cautious consumer spending, TrendForce said.

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