Why Apple Says Higher Prices Are Now ‘Unavoidable’
Apple’s latest price increase is a change in what you pay for iPhones, Macs, and iPads that Apple says is driven by soaring memory and storage chip costs rather than a push to widen profit margins. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple will raise prices because of a global crunch in DRAM and NAND flash supply. Cook said “price increases are unavoidable” and described the memory situation as “unsustainable,” explaining that suppliers are passing through “huge price increases” on the chips Apple needs. For years, Apple absorbed those pressures to keep retail prices steady, but its stockpile of pre-purchased memory is shrinking. With competition from AI data centers consuming available chips, Apple is signaling that customers will now see the impact directly on the price tags of upcoming products.
How Memory Chip Costs Trigger the Apple Price Increase
The main driver behind the Apple price increase is the spike in memory chip costs. AI companies are buying vast amounts of DRAM and NAND storage for data centers, which has created a severe shortage for consumer electronics makers. According to ZDNET’s reporting on TechInsights data, Apple’s cost for 12GB of DRAM in the current iPhone 17 Pro could rise from USD 39 (approx. RM180) to USD 145 (approx. RM670), while 256GB of storage could climb from USD 13 (approx. RM60) to USD 51 (approx. RM240). At the same time, major memory manufacturers are prioritizing higher-margin enterprise components, leaving fewer chips for phones and laptops. Apple had pre-bought memory to smooth out these swings, but as that cushion thins, Cook says passing some of the increase to consumers is the only way to keep products viable.
iPhone 18 Pro Price: What Analysts Expect You’ll Pay
For many buyers, the headline change will be the iPhone 18 Pro price. Analysts cited by The Wall Street Journal and ZDNET expect the starting price of Apple’s next flagship Pro model to climb by at least USD 200 (approx. RM920) compared with the current generation. With the iPhone 17 Pro starting at USD 1,099 (approx. RM5,050), that would push a base iPhone 18 Pro toward the high USD 1,300 (approx. RM6,000+) range if Apple aims to preserve its estimated 47% profit margin. TechInsights estimates total parts and manufacturing costs for an iPhone 17 Pro at around USD 582 (approx. RM2,670), potentially rising 25% to USD 726 (approx. RM3,330) for iPhone 18 Pro. Apple usually tries to hold prices steady across generations, but the steep jump in memory costs may force a clear break from that pattern.
Mac and iPad Buyers Will Likely Feel It First
While the iPhone 18 Pro price is grabbing attention, Macs and iPads are set to feel the impact of memory chip costs sooner. The Wall Street Journal, as summarized by both PCMag and ZDNET, reports that higher prices for Macs and iPads are expected before the next iPhone launch. Apple has already moved: it dropped the 256GB Mac mini configuration and raised the entry model from USD 599 (approx. RM2,750) to USD 799 (approx. RM3,670), keeping 16GB of RAM but doubling storage to 512GB. That shift pushed the cheapest Mac’s upfront cost higher while aligning it with more expensive memory components. Because memory remains the priciest upgrade on many Macs, shoppers comparing 8GB, 16GB, or higher RAM options should prepare for steeper jumps when configuring systems over the coming months.
What Consumers Should Do Before Apple’s Price Hike Hits
For anyone planning a new Apple device, timing now matters. Cook’s confirmation means the Apple price increase is no longer speculation, and both sources suggest new Macs and iPads will reflect higher memory chip costs before the next iPhone cycle. If you were already eyeing an iPhone 17 Pro, Mac, or iPad with extra storage or RAM, buying sooner could avoid a later premium tied to the memory crunch. At the same time, Apple’s growing focus on AI features such as Apple Intelligence and an upgraded Siri means new models will likely ship with larger memory configurations by default. That helps justify some cost but also locks in higher component expenses. The practical takeaway: match your purchase to what you need now, and assume that future like-for-like configurations will come with a higher price attached.
