Apple's iPhone 18 Pro will cost more because AI hyperscalers are hoarding memory chips
Tim Cook confirmed in a Wall Street Journal interview that iPhone price increases are unavoidable after DRAM prices surged up to 63 percent and NAND flash up to 75 percent, driven by AI hyperscalers consuming memory at a pace the industry can't match. TechInsights estimates the iPhone 18 Pro could cost $270 more when it launches in September. SK Hynix, Micron, and Samsung are positioned to benefit as the shortage extends well past 2027.