Price hike claim for iPhone 18 Pro: Could memory costs drive up the price?

It has been claimed that Apple may increase prices for its new iPhone 18 Pro models. According to information shared by Mark Gurman, known for his reliable leaks in the technology world, the company has re-evaluated the starting price of the Pro series due to the rise in memory and other component costs.

According to the claim, pressure on the supply side, particularly regarding storage unit costs, is affecting Apple's profit margins. The fact that the company previously increased prices for its Mac and iPad product families, citing memory costs, has led to speculation that a similar move could be on the agenda for the iPhone side as well.

According to the leaks, Apple is also closely monitoring the pricing decisions made by competitors like Samsung and Google in response to cost increases for their flagship phones. In this scenario, it is stated that the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro could rise from $1,099 to $1,199, which would represent an increase of approximately 9 percent.

It is estimated that the expected $100 increase would pass only a portion, rather than the entirety, of the rising hardware costs on to the user. Apple's recent indications that there could be pressure on gross profit margins are also interpreted as the company attempting to balance cost increases.

It is suggested that while determining its pricing policy, the company may take care to keep the devices within the price range of Samsung's flagship models, ensure that the increase on the iPhone side is kept more limited compared to Mac and iPad models, and make high device costs manageable through monthly payments with a new leasing program.