Apple’s memory upgrade margins could face serious pressure with the iPhone 18 Pro, as DRAM and flash storage prices appear to be rising sharply compared with earlier iPhone generations.
For years, Apple reportedly bought memory components at much lower prices while charging customers a premium for storage upgrades. The company was said to pay around $17 for 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and about $22 for a 256GB flash storage module, bringing the total memory cost near $39.
At the same time, Apple charged around $99 for moving to the next storage tier, which helped the company protect strong margins on upgrade options.
iPhone 18 Pro Costs Could Change the Equation
With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple is now expected to pay around $145 for 12GB DRAM and about $51 for a 256GB flash storage module, taking the total memory-related cost close to $196.
That change puts Apple in a difficult position because AI demand has tightened memory supply, while hyperscalers now carry more weight with suppliers.
Apple’s reported interest in China’s CXMT shows that it wants more supply options, but CXMT will not solve every pricing or supply issue, especially as China also prioritizes local AI demand.
If these estimates hold, Apple will have less room to profit from memory upgrades, and future iPhone prices or upgrade costs could reflect that pressure.
