{"id":613590,"date":"2026-09-03T22:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613590\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T22:56:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T22:56:10","slug":"the-new-iphones-could-cost-10-20-more-an-analyst-predicts-thanks-a-lot-ramageddon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/613590\/","title":{"rendered":"The New iPhones Could Cost 10-20% More, an Analyst Predicts. Thanks a Lot, RAMageddon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple\u2019s \u201cSurprise and Shine\u201d event<\/a> is days away, and there are plenty of rumors swirling about new devices we can expect, like a new Apple Watch<\/a> and the first foldable iPhone<\/a>, which could be called the iPhone Ultra.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When we asked CNET readers one thing they\u2019d change about the iPhone in our Big Guessing Game<\/a>, 16% said they want it to cost less. But that\u2019s not happening. In fact, you should expect new models to cost significantly more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

TrendForce, a global market research firm, released a report<\/a> on Thursday suggesting you can expect higher prices instead of steep discounts. The firm expects the iPhone 18 series<\/a> to cost 10 to 20% more due to the ongoing RAM shortage<\/a> and higher hardware costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the 256GB Pro model, memory costs in [the third quarter of 2026] are expected to be nearly 400% higher than a year earlier,\u201d TrendForce said. \u201cDespite Apple\u2019s efforts to negotiate lower prices for other components, these savings are unlikely to offset the resulting pressure on overall [materials] costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apple raised prices<\/a> on select products in June due to the RAM shortage, but excluded iPhones from the price hikes. Now there\u2019s a chance that Apple could release some iPhone 18 models with higher prices<\/a> at the September event. TrendForce said it expects Apple to absorb some of the costs to keep prices for the new models as part of a \u201crelatively moderate\u201d pricing strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So exactly how much more are we talking about? Some analysts believe the foldable iPhone Ultra could cost between $2,000 and $2,500. TrendForce predicts the starting price will be slightly higher \u2014 between $2,099 and $2,299. The phone could go up to $3,000. TrendForce didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for further comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But higher costs aren\u2019t equivalent to big improvements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

TrendForce says we shouldn\u2019t expect major performance upgrades from Apple\u2019s upcoming iPhone lineup. Instead, we should expect a more powerful processor for AI features and power efficiency, better chip cooling technology and power-efficient displays. And the iPhone 18 Pro models\u2019 main camera could have a \u201cmechanical variable aperture\u201d to improve depth-of-field control and dynamic range for different lighting settings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The really big upgrade is the potential release of the folding iPhone Ultra and bigger batteries for premium iPhone 18 models, TrendForce predicts. The iPhone 18 Pro Max could see the biggest upgrade due to a larger chassis. CNET\u2019s Patrick Holland tested smartphone batteries<\/a> last year and found that the iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/a> was the best for battery life, so iPhone 18\u2019s premium models could be an even bigger upgrade from the current model.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Dashia\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDashia Milden\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSenior Consumer Insights Editor\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family.
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSee full bio\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Apple\u2019s \u201cSurprise and Shine\u201d event is days away, and there are plenty of rumors swirling about new devices…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":613591,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80],"class_list":["post-613590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/613591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}