The huge boom in the use of artificial intelligence has led to an unprecedented rise in demand for memory chips, which has caused a significant jump in DRAM prices, paving the way for an expected wave of prices in devices in 2026.
As a result, consumers will have to pay more, and even the world’s largest smartphone company, Apple, will not be immune to this effect.
According to a report issued by South Korea, Samsung raised the prices of LPDDR DRAM chips by up to 80% compared to what it was charging from Apple in the fourth quarter of 2025.
In the same context, the report indicated that SK Hynix, the main competitor in the memory market, raised its prices by a whopping 100%.
Over the past years, Apple has typically been able to absorb component cost increases through long-term agreements with its major suppliers. However, the current situation seems different, as the report revealed that the new agreement concluded between Apple and Samsung covers the prices of memory units only for the first half of the year.
Accordingly, the upcoming iPhone 18 series is likely to reach the markets at higher prices, along with a number of other new Apple devices.
However, there is still a glimmer of hope, as famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple may try to bear part of these high costs to maintain current iPhone prices, as part of its effort to enhance its market share.
