iPhone 18 Pro Max price: Could it cost around Rs 30,000 more? Here's what's driving the expected price hike

The bill of materials (BoM) for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to rise by nearly $300 (around 28,599)  compared with its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. A new analysis from Counterpoint Research reveals how surging memory chip prices could significantly increase the cost of Apple's next-generation flagship.

The estimate is based on the 1TB storage variant. According to the research, the cost of the NAND flash storage—which retains data even when the power is turned off—has exceeded $250 on its own, accounting for roughly half of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's estimated total component cost. Moreover, DRAM prices are also rising rapidly due to the broader memory chip shortage driven by soaring demand for AI hardware.

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The second-largest contributor to the higher bill of materials is Apple's expected shift to a 2nm processor. The upcoming flagship is expected to feature the new A20 Pro chip, built on TSMC's N2 process. The new manufacturing node carries a significant wafer cost premium over the current N3P process used for the A19 Pro. Counterpoint Research added that display costs and several other miscellaneous component costs could decline compared with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, partially offsetting the increases in memory and processor costs.

Meanwhile, camera costs are expected to rise slightly, thanks to the rumoured variable-aperture main camera that is expected to debut on the Pro models.

Expected pricing

Reports from The Wall Street Journal and several other publications have estimated what the iPhone 18 Pro lineup could cost. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to start at $1,399, driven in part by Apple's DRAM cost per unit rising from $39 to $145, while flash storage costs are projected to increase from $13 to $51.

IDC has estimated a $200 price increase for the Pro and Pro Max models, while tipsters suggest the overall iPhone 18 lineup could see price hikes of around 11%.

To manage rising component costs across its product portfolio, Apple is expected to implement differential price increases across storage tiers rather than applying a flat increase across the lineup. As a result, higher-capacity models are likely to see steeper price hikes. Counterpoint Research also noted that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to deliver a slightly lower gross margin than the iPhone 17 Pro Max achieved in 2025.

The Counterpoint Research analysis comes just weeks after Apple raised prices on 14 products, including every Mac and iPad in its lineup. Those price increases were also attributed to the memory chip shortage highlighted in the report. Prices of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods remained unchanged during that round of hikes, but that could change with the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.