iPhone 18 Pro price could rise to USD1399 (~RM5801) due to rising component costs and AI

If you are planning to get the iPhone 18 Pro when it launches later this year, you might want to start saving up a lot more money. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Apple might increase the starting price of its next-generation pro model to a whopping USD1399 (~RM5801).

Big AI demands are driving the prices up

This massive price hike is reportedly due to the soaring costs of memory chips worldwide. Because of the massive boom in AI data centres, chip manufacturers like Samsung and Micron are prioritising server memory. This has caused a severe shortage of consumer electronics, forcing DRAM and NAND flash storage prices to skyrocket.

Research firm TechInsights notes that the 12GB DRAM used in the current iPhone 17 Pro only costs Apple around USD39, which is around RM161. For the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, that same component could cost Apple up to USD 145 (~RM 601). Even the base 256GB storage chip is expected to jump from USD13 (~RM53) to USD51 (~RM211).

To make matters worse, Apple is also expected to upgrade the camera system on the iPhone 18 Pro. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that the new camera unit could cost Apple 50 per cent more than before. When you add all these parts up, the total cost to build the phone jumps by roughly 25 per cent.

If this report is true, a USD1399, around RM5801, starting price would mean a steep USD300 (~RM1244) increase over the previous model. Naturally, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be even more expensive, likely starting at USD1499 (~RM6216).

You might want to wait first

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently acknowledged that the company is facing these rising component costs, but kept mum on the exact local pricing. We will just have to wait for Apple to officially reveal the retail prices during their annual September launch event. Personally, we would advise iPhone fans in Malaysia to refrain from buying the latest iPhones. That's because the older-gen iPhones would usually get a significant discount when the new ones come out. What are your thoughts on the news? Feel free to leave your comments below.

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