iPhone 18 Pro Max dreamers should start preparing their pockets for a heavier load. A new analysis from famous research firm Counterpoint Research says Apple's cost of building iPhone 18 Pro Max is rising by up to $300 over iPhone 17 Pro Max. A big share of that extra burden will eventually land on buyers' shoulders.

Let's first understand why costs are climbing. Its main villain carries a name, DRAM crisis. Prices of RAM plus NAND flash storage keep soaring worldwide, plus these two things inside phones are now upending Apple's cost math. Counterpoint's BoM (Bill of Materials) analysis, meaning a part-by-part price breakdown of a phone, says building a 1 terabyte iPhone 18 Pro Max will cost roughly $300 more than its previous model. On that top 2 terabyte model, this difference grows even bigger.

iPhone 18 Pro Max

Memory alone doesn't carry all blame though. A new A20 Pro chip plus improved cameras sit on that cost-raising list too. Funny part is, most remaining components, even its display, turn slightly cheaper than last time. But memory's price jump runs so large that those savings vanish without a trace.

So how much could prices rise? By Counterpoint's math, Apple may raise iPhone 18 Pro Max pricing by $200 on average, with higher storage models seeing steeper jumps. For context, iPhone 17 Pro Max's 256GB version currently sells at $1,199, its top 2 terabyte model at $1,999. Meaning that new Pro Max's starting price alone could move into $1,400 territory.

Most curiosity-raising detail is this, even after raising prices, Apple's profit shrinks. Counterpoint says despite these higher prices, Apple must settle for smaller profit margins than last year. Meaning this memory crisis hits so hard that even our world's most profitable phone company cannot push its full weight onto buyers, paying some from its own pocket too.

One piece of good news exists for smaller budgets though. J.P. Morgan analysts said earlier that production costs of that most affordable iPhone 18 Pro rise merely 5 percent, to $540. Because Apple keeps trimming costs through various strategies, trying to hold prices steady on smaller models. Meaning this blow lands mainly on expensive high-storage models.

For buyers, math now stands like this: iPhone 18 series arrives in September, alongside Apple's first folding iPhone too. If a Pro Max is your target, keep room for an extra $200 in your budget this time. If money runs tight, iPhone 17 Pro Max prices will fall once new models arrive, that opportunity isn't bad either. This memory crisis shakes an entire industry, everyone from Samsung to Xiaomi is raising prices, so accepting that this year isn't one for cheap flagships is wise.

 

Source and image credit: Counterpoint