Apple could face pressure to increase iPhone prices again next year after reportedly agreeing to pay Samsung more for DRAM and NAND memory.
The reported agreement is expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2027 and could increase Apple’s component costs at a time when some iPhone models have already become more expensive.
The development comes shortly before the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are set to go on sale. Both models are reportedly priced $100 higher than their corresponding 2025 predecessors. Some older models in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 lineups have also received $100 price increases.
Recent reports from South Korea said Samsung had been renegotiating memory prices with major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple. The latest reports indicate that Apple has now agreed to Samsung’s revised pricing.
Under the reported agreement, Apple could pay close to $2 per gigabit for LPDDR5X RAM starting in the first quarter of 2027. The company could also pay around $0.33 per gigabit for NAND storage.
For comparison, Samsung reportedly charged around $1.50 per gigabit for LPDDR5X memory and approximately $0.26 per gigabit for NAND during the third quarter of 2026.
The increase could add to Apple’s overall manufacturing costs. Memory is an important component in modern smartphones, and higher prices for RAM and storage can increase the cost of producing devices, particularly flagship models with larger memory configurations.
Apple has not confirmed that it will increase iPhone prices because of the reported memory agreement. The exact impact on future retail prices is also unknown.
However, if component costs continue to rise, Apple could face additional pressure when setting prices for its upcoming iPhone models. Any potential increase would depend on several factors, including production costs, supplier agreements, market conditions and Apple’s pricing strategy.
Apple is reportedly not the only major smartphone company that was asked to accept higher memory prices from Samsung. Oppo and Vivo are said to have rejected the revised rates.
It remains unclear which memory suppliers Oppo and Vivo may turn to if they move away from Samsung for future devices. Upcoming flagship smartphone teardowns could eventually provide more information about the memory suppliers used by the two companies.
For Apple users, the reported agreement could be significant if higher memory costs are eventually passed on to consumers. However, no specific future iPhone price increase has been confirmed at this stage.
Also read: Apple Receives Approval to Launch Apple Intelligence in China
