Apple has accepted sharply higher Samsung memory prices for the first quarter of 2027, according to a DigiTimes report published September 16. If the report is right, that lands in the same window in which the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are widely expected, so memory for those phones would cost Apple more just before launch.
DigiTimes says the move is “putting a number on the cost of the AI boom for smartphones,” though its own headline hedges, saying Apple “reportedly” accepted the hike and that it raises “the 2027 smartphone cost floor.” The full article is behind a paywall. Neither Apple nor Samsung has commented, and nobody has reported a change to the price of any iPhone.
What Apple reportedly agreed to
The visible part of the DigiTimes report says only that Apple accepted Samsung’s early-2027 memory prices, which it describes as sharply higher. It does not say whether that means DRAM, the working memory apps run in, NAND flash, which holds your photos and apps, or both. Either way, memory is a commodity part whose price moves with supply and demand.
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Per-gigabit prices attributed to the report have circulated elsewhere. They do not appear in the part of DigiTimes’ text we could read, so we have left them out.
DigiTimes ties the increase to the AI boom, which has pulled memory supply toward data centers. The same squeeze is the backdrop to SK Hynix’s talks about producing memory in the US.
Why the spring iPhones are the ones to watch
Apple split its iPhone launches this year. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo came first, and the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are widely expected in the spring of 2027. Apple has not confirmed any date.
Those two models are the cheaper end of the line, where a rise in component costs is hardest to absorb.
No one has reported that Apple plans to change the price of either model. Apple could absorb the higher cost, or may already have planned for it when setting this year’s prices.
Memory already shapes what you pay
The iPhone 18 Pro shows how much memory drives Apple’s pricing. Apple’s US store lists iPhone 18 Pro from $1,199 to $2,399 and iPhone 18 Pro Max from $1,299 to $2,499, with storage running from 256GB up to 2TB. iPhone Duo runs from $1,999 to $3,199. Both Pro models cost $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro models they replaced.
Evercore ISI made a related point in a September 18 note to clients. The firm said iPhone pricing could rise more than 20%, driven by higher list prices, pricier models and buyers moving to larger memory configurations. More buyers are already paying for more storage, and memory is the part DigiTimes says is getting dearer.
What it means if you are waiting
If you are holding out for a cheaper spring iPhone, this report is a reason to watch prices, not a reason to change plans. Apple’s current range, from $699 to $1,999 before storage upgrades, is what you can buy now. Apple sets spring prices at launch, and until then any figure is a guess.
