Apple could raise the prices of its iPhones again in 2027 after reportedly agreeing to pay significantly higher prices for memory chips supplied by Samsung.
The reported deal comes as the global memory market faces a supply squeeze driven partly by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centres, which are consuming large quantities of DRAM and NAND memory.
Samsung Raises Memory Prices for Apple
According to supply-chain reports, Apple has accepted Samsung’s revised pricing for memory components for the first quarter of 2027.
Apple is reportedly set to pay around $2 per gigabit for LPDDR5X DRAMup from approximately $1.50 per gigabit, while NAND storage could cost around $0.33 per gigabitcompared with about $0.26 previously.
That represents an increase of roughly 30–40% in memory prices compared with the third quarter of 2026. Apple has not publicly confirmed the reported agreement.
AI Boom Drives Memory Demand
The increase comes amid a broader shortage of memory chips. AI companies are investing heavily in data centres, increasing demand for high-performance memory and putting pressure on the supply available for smartphones and other consumer electronics.
Memory manufacturers including Samsung, SK hynix and Micron have been allocating substantial capacity to AI and cloud customers through long-term agreements.
The resulting shortage is affecting smartphone manufacturers across the industry, with some smaller companies already preparing for elevated memory costs and limited supply through 2027.
iPhone Prices Already Increased in 2026
Apple has already raised prices on several products this year.
The newly launched iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are around $100 more expensive in the US than their previous-generation counterparts. Apple has also increased prices for several other products, including Macs and iPads.
The company is reportedly absorbing some of the higher component costs rather than passing the entire increase on to consumers.
Another Price Hike Could Come in 2027
The higher memory prices could put additional pressure on Apple’s hardware margins next year.
While accepting higher component costs does not automatically mean Apple will raise retail pricesanalysts and industry reports expect the company to consider another increase if memory prices remain elevated.
Apple may also attempt to offset some of the impact through component negotiations, product configurations and its growing services business.
Smartphone Industry Faces Longer Memory Shortage
Apple is not alone in dealing with the problem. The memory shortage is affecting manufacturers across the smartphone industry, with some companies reportedly rejecting higher supplier prices or looking for alternative sourcing arrangements.
The situation could make 2027 another difficult year for smartphone manufacturers as they balance rising component costs against consumer sensitivity to higher device prices.
Summary
Apple has reportedly agreed to pay 30–40% more for Samsung’s DRAM and NAND memory from Q1 2027potentially increasing the cost of future iPhones. While another Apple price hike is not confirmed, rising memory costs could put further pressure on iPhone pricing as AI data centres continue to absorb global memory capacity.