Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup is shaping up to be more expensive, at least for buyers who choose higher storage options. Several industry forecasts now point to a price increase driven mainly by rising memory and storage component costs. While base models are expected to hold their current prices, higher-capacity variants will likely cost more than their iPhone 17 counterparts.
South Korea-based leaker ‘yeux1122’ shared this outlook after reviewing projections from Citigroup, Bank of America, and J.P. Morgan Research.
These firms expect RAM and NAND flash prices to continue climbing, which directly affects the bill of materials for premium smartphones. Even with Apple’s strong supply chain control and bargaining power, these increases are difficult to absorb fully.
Storage Tiers This Year
Apple reportedly plans to keep entry-level iPhone 18 models at last year’s pricing. However, each higher storage tier is expected to carry a larger premium. In simple words, the more storage you choose, the more you will pay, and the gap between tiers will widen compared to the iPhone 17 generation.
Manufacturers generally avoid taking long-term hits to profit margins. As component costs rise, passing part of that increase to customers becomes the most practical option. Apple appears to follow this approach by protecting the base price while adjusting the upper tiers.
This strategy, however, comes with a risk. Higher prices often weaken demand, and several analytics firms already expect smartphone shipments to decline in the near term.
Industry-Wide Cost Pressure
Paul Meeks, Managing Director and Head of Technology Research at Freedom Capital Markets, previously said the scale of memory price increases is too large to ignore.
He pointed out that the surge in demand from AI-focused companies has created a supply shortage in the memory market. As a result, prices are expected to remain elevated for at least the next two years.
Apple’s CFO, Kevan Parekh, also addressed this issue in November, noting that rising memory costs make new products more expensive to build, even though Apple continues to manage expenses carefully.
Other major brands, including Samsung and Xiaomi, have signaled that their upcoming devices will also carry higher price tags.
Will the iPhone 18 Pro Justify the Premium?
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone in September, with additional models arriving in Spring 2027.
The Pro models are rumored to include the 2nm A20 Pro chip, a variable aperture main camera, and possibly a larger battery. Reports also suggest a refreshed front design with a hole-style camera cutout.
Apple has also partnered with Google to support new AI features. While recent Pro models already offer AI capabilities, some advanced functions are expected to remain exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro series.
These upgrades will justify the higher prices for some users. Others will likely choose the base variants or skip the generation altogether, especially if storage upgrades become significantly more expensive.
