Apple iPhone 18 Pro Price: RAMageddon Pushes It to $1,399

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Price: Why It Could Jump to $1,299 (or More)

As AI data centers drain the world's memory chip supply, analysts say Apple may have little choice but to raise the iPhone 18 Pro's price by as much as $300.

Jul 21, 2026

by Ogbonda Chivumnovu

As the release of the iPhone 18 lineup draws closer, it is arriving at the same time as the ongoing “RAMageddon” crisis in the consumer tech industry. As a result, many analysts believe the iPhone 18 Pro lineup could see a significant price increase.

The biggest culprit is memory. In recent months, DRAM and NAND flash prices have surged as AI data centres continue buying up supply. With only a handful of companies, including Samsung and Micron, producing these chips, manufacturers of consumer devices are facing much higher component costs.

Although Apple has not confirmed any price increases for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, the company did raise prices across parts of its Mac, iPad, and home device lineup last month. Many analysts believe those increases could soon extend to the iPhone, as Apple may have little choice.

What the iPhone 18 Pro price increase could look like

According to a The Wall Street Journal report, TechInsights’ Mike Howard estimates that Apple paid about $39 for the 12GB of DRAM used in the iPhone 17 Pro. For the iPhone 18 Pro, that cost could rise to $145.

The base iPhone 17 Pro is estimated to cost Apple about $582 to manufacture. Factoring in the higher memory costs, the estimated production cost of the iPhone 18 Pro rises by about 25% to $726.

If Apple wants to maintain its roughly 47% gross profit margin, the phone would need to sell for around $1,371. However, because Apple prefers standardized pricing, analysts believe a starting price of $1,299 is more likely, which would still leave the company with an estimated 44% margin.