A new crisis concerning iPhone prices has emerged, with the possibility that Apple's phones could become even more expensive by 2027. If buying a new iPhone seems expensive this year, the situation next year could turn out to be even more complicated.
The reason for the pressure on prices is a component invisible inside the phone—the memory chip. According to recent reports, Apple has agreed to accept a higher price for memory supplied by Samsung starting in 2027. The report indicates that the price for LPDDR5X RAM is about $2 per GB, and for NAND storage—about $0.33 per GB. These prices are estimated to be 30–40% higher than current ones.
In recent years, data centers for artificial intelligence (AI) have been actively built, requiring huge amounts of memory. Demand for high-performance memory, known as HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), has increased particularly.
The problem is that companies like Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are directing a significant portion of their production capacity towards high-tech memory products related to AI. This leads to increased strain on the supply of standard memory used in smartphones and other electronic devices.
According to TechInsights, DRAM and NAND prices rose during the launch period of the iPhone in 2026, and they are expected to continue rising until 2027. The analysis showed that the share of memory in the cost of premium devices could exceed 30%. Thus, it is AI, which we aim to implement in phones to provide smarter features, that is becoming one of the main reasons for the increase in memory costs for phone manufacturers.
It is important to understand that Apple accepting a higher memory price does not mean that the iPhone 2027 will necessarily cost exactly that much more. The company has several options: it can absorb some of the increased costs, enter into new agreements with suppliers, change the memory configuration in the phone, or raise the final price.
However, if memory prices remain high for a long time, there will naturally be increased pressure on the overall cost of the phone. This is why many reports predict a possible price increase for iPhones in 2027.
The impact of this trend is already noticeable on the iPhone 2026. In India, the iPhone 18 Pro starts from ₹1,64,900, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts from ₹1,79,900. Apple has made significant changes to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max regarding the camera, battery, performance, and AI. Both phones are equipped with the A20 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence features, and Siri AI. The iPhone 18 Pro also received a variable aperture along with the main 48MP Fusion camera.
Thus, as the amount of RAM, storage, and AI-related features in the phone increases, the prices of the memory required for these functions also rise.
Another important aspect of this situation is that the rise in memory prices will not only affect Apple. Companies such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and OnePlus also purchase DRAM and NAND. Consequently, if the entire industry faces higher memory costs, Android phones will also be unable to avoid this.
One report mentioned that Samsung was negotiating higher memory prices with Oppo and Vivo, although the full picture regarding the decisions of these companies and their supply chains is not yet clear.
The main question is whether companies will pass the burden of expensive memory onto consumers. One possible way is to raise prices. Another option is to release models with smaller amounts of memory or RAM. A third path suggests that companies will not significantly raise prices by sacrificing part of their profit.
Nevertheless, with the growing use of AI, the demand for RAM is also increasing. According to TechInsights, the average iPhone has already exceeded 9GB of DRAM, and using a 12GB configuration is becoming increasingly common.