Apple May Absorb Higher Chip Costs to Keep iPhone 18 Pro Price Stable Amid Market Pressure
Apple May Absorb Higher Chip Costs to Keep iPhone 18 Pro Price Stable Amid Market Pressure
Publish Date: 2026-03-16 16:50:00
Source Domain: www.ibtimes.com
With the iPhone 17e now out in the market, attention shifts to Apple’s next flagship models, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Potential customers are bracing for hefty price tags, something that appears imminent with the price of memory and chips surging in the market.
But if the forecast of TF International Services analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is to be believed, consumers may heave a sigh of relief. He hints that the Cupertino company may leave the price of its next flagship phones unchanged in a move that would help it keep its market share.
‘Pricing from the iPhone 17e to MacBook Neo reinforces my earlier view of Apple’s strategy: use the memory market chaos to their advantage—secure the chips, absorb the costs, and grab more market share,’ he said in a social media post.
Apple’s Costly Approach for Market Share
If it does happen, it means Apple may absorb the rising component costs instead of passing that burden onto the buyers. Kuo’s take is not that different from what Jeff Pu of GF Securities speculated in February.
Pu also said last month that he sees Apple maintaining the same prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models as their iPhone 17 Pro counterparts. He pointed out that this is part of the company’s cost management strategy in a report from The Independent.
To have an idea of the possible cost of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, taking a look at the iPhone 17 Pro models’ prices would be best. At the moment, the iPhone 17 Pro retails for £826 ($1,099) while the iPhone 17 Pro Max costs around £901 ($1,199).
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are projected to come out in September. Anything can still happen in the following months. Hearing that the prices may remain unchanged is welcome news. However, there remains a possibility that the Cupertino company may jack up the prices, although not dramatically.
Pricing Dependent on ‘Negotiations’
One factor to look out for is the talks being done between Apple, Samsung and SK Hynix….
