Apple Will Pay Higher Memory Prices in 2027
Apple reportedly agreed to pay significantly more for Samsung memory components starting in the first quarter of 2027.
Updated on Sept. 18, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
Live Poll
Would you delay buying a new smartphone if tech companies raise prices due to component costs?
Apple has accepted price increases for memory components from Samsung effective for the first quarter of 2027. These new costs are driven by global supply constraints from AI and cloud sector demand.
Why it matters
The memory supply crunch, fueled by intense demand for AI and cloud infrastructure, is forcing tech manufacturers to pay premium rates for essential components. These costs often influence the retail pricing of future consumer hardware.
Apple reportedly agreed to pay nearly $2 per gigabit for LPDDR5x RAM, while NAND storage is expected to cost approximately 33 cents per gigabit. These rates represent a 30% to 40% increase over component costs seen in the third quarter of 2026.
The players
Apple
Apple is a global technology company known for designing and manufacturing the iPhone, Mac, and various high-end consumer electronic devices.
Samsung
Samsung is a major international electronics and semiconductor manufacturer that supplies key components like RAM and NAND storage to global tech firms.
The details
Apple secured its memory supply through these new terms with Samsung after other manufacturers, including Oppo and Vivo, reportedly refused the price hike. These hardware costs follow a period in 2026 where Apple raised prices for several products, including the Vision Pro and various Mac models.
Timeline
June 2026: Apple increased prices on several hardware products.
Q3 2026: The baseline pricing period for previous Apple memory components.
Q4 2026: Apple secured its memory supply at current rates.
Q1 2027: New, higher Samsung memory pricing takes effect.
First half of 2027: Expected launch window for the iPhone 18 and other models.
The Tech Race
This agreement reflects the broader struggle among hardware manufacturers to secure production capacity in an industry dominated by massive demand from AI and cloud infrastructure providers. As these sectors book DRAM and high-bandwidth capacity through 2027, companies like Apple must navigate significantly higher component costs to maintain supply chain stability.
Consumers may face higher retail prices for future devices, as component cost increases are frequently passed on to the buyer. These price adjustments typically follow trends like the $100 increase seen in previous Pro-level iPhone models.
The takeaway
Rising component costs highlight the immense pressure that AI and cloud computing companies are exerting on the global semiconductor supply chain. Consumers should anticipate that these hardware economics will continue to influence retail pricing throughout the 2027 product cycle.
Further reading
For more background on industry component supply, visit the Consumer Electronics section.
Live Poll
Would you delay buying a new smartphone if tech companies raise prices due to component costs?
