The bill of materials for the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to rise by nearly $300 compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to a new Counterpoint Research analysis.
The estimate covers the 1TB storage model. NAND flash costs for the device are said to exceed $250 on their own, a figure that would cover roughly half of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's entire estimated component cost. DRAM pricing is also climbing sharply, with both components facing pressure from a broader memory chip shortage tied to surging demand for AI hardware.
Apple's expected shift to a 2nm chip is described as the second-largest contributor to the cost increase. The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to debut the A20 Pro, manufactured on TSMC's N2 process, which reportedly carries a steep premium in wafer pricing over the current N3P node used for the A19 Pro. Early yield ramp costs on a new process node typically add to per-unit chip pricing as well.
Counterpoint says display costs and other miscellaneous components may actually decline compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, partially offsetting the memory and chip increases. Camera costs are expected to rise slightly, which the firm attributes to new technology, likely a reference to the variable-aperture main camera rumored for the Pro models.
The report arrives weeks after Apple raised prices on 14 products, including every Mac and iPad, along with the Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini, and Vision Pro. Apple attributed those increases to the same memory chip shortage cited in the Counterpoint report, saying that the "supply-demand imbalance" driven by AI data center buildouts had made further price increases necessary. iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods pricing was left unchanged in that round of hikes, but the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is widely expected to be next.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the iPhone 18 Pro could start as high as $1,399, citing estimates that Apple's DRAM cost per unit could climb from $39 to $145 and its flash storage cost from $13 to $51. Apple CEO Tim Cook told the outlet that the company is "still working through" which devices will see price increases. Separately, IDC has estimated a $200 increase to the Pro and Pro Max models specifically, while Weibo leakers have separately suggested Apple could raise its Chinese starting price for the lineup by around 11%.
To manage the higher costs without giving up margin entirely, Apple is expected to apply different retail price increases across storage tiers rather than a flat increase across the lineup, concentrating the impact on higher-capacity models. Even with an average $200 retail price rise, Counterpoint still expects the iPhone 18 Pro Max to land at a slightly lower gross margin than the iPhone 17 Pro Max achieved in 2025.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone in the fall.
