The next iPhone is set to be one of the most expensive Apple has ever made, and the reason has little to do with the phone itself. Analysts expect the iPhone 18 Pro range to launch this September at a higher price than the current models. The estimates run from about $200 to as much as $300 more. The main cause is a global shortage of memory chips, the same parts that AI data centres are now buying in huge amounts.
Apple has all but confirmed the rise. Chief executive Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that price increases tied to memory costs were coming, and said he had never seen anything like the current squeeze in more than 40 years. The company has not set the final prices, but the direction is clear.
