Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could become much more expensive to build, as early component estimates point to a major rise in memory and chip costs for the 1TB model.
Counterpoint Research says the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 12GB RAM and 1TB storage is expected to see its bill of materials rise by nearly $300 compared with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The biggest increase comes from NAND and DRAM, which continue to face pressure from wider component shortages. The report also points to Apple’s expected 2nm chip and newer packaging as another major reason behind the higher cost.
Key estimated cost changes
- Total BoM increase: Nearly $300 over iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Main cost driver: NAND and DRAM
- Chip cost: Expected to rise due to 2nm SoC and newer packaging
- Camera cost: Slight increase due to new technology
- Display and other parts: Expected to cost less
- Retail price: Average increase expected around $200
Counterpoint also expects Apple to apply different price increases across storage variants, which means higher-capacity models could see sharper price changes.
Even with a higher retail price, Apple is still expected to see slightly lower gross margins on the iPhone 18 Pro Max compared with the current model.
