iPhone 18 Pro prices could skyrocket next year

(Dan Tri) - The iPhone 18 Pro series launched next year could see a significant price increase.

Apple may increase the retail price of the iPhone 18 series due to expensive hardware costs (Illustration: ST).

According to reports from China Times, the 2nm processor from TSMC ( the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing corporation), expected to equip the iPhone 18, has a production cost up to 50% higher than the previous generation.

The move to 2nm is a technological leap forward, but it comes at a steep price.

TSMC's investment costs for this process are said to be huge, and yield rates (number of usable chips per batch) have only recently reached acceptable levels.

Even with its massive purchasing power, Apple is said to not receive any special discounts from TSMC, so the cost of manufacturing each chip is expected to increase by at least half.

The pressure doesn't just come from the chip

The cost burden doesn't stop at the processor. The total cost of materials for smartphones in general is also climbing, including storage modules and camera assemblies.

To put that into context, let's look at the iPhone 16 example: The A18 processor accounts for about 10% ($45) of the product's estimated total manufacturing cost of $416.

Currently, the rear camera cluster is the expensive component. However, with the new 2nm chip increasing in price by 50%, the cost ratio of the processor will increase significantly, putting a lot of pressure on Apple.

Initially, it was reported that Apple would only equip this expensive 2nm chip for the iPhone 18 Pro models to contain costs.

However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in March that the entire iPhone 18 lineup, including both the base and Plus models, will adopt the new chip as TSMC's yield has now exceeded 70%.

If Kuo's analysis is correct, rolling out the expensive 2nm chip across the entire iPhone 18 lineup would almost certainly force Apple to raise retail prices.

The Pro models, which already shoulder the cost of premium cameras and materials, will be the most vulnerable to price increases.

This could be Apple's first significant price adjustment in years, directly reflecting the huge cost of hardware innovation.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/gia-iphone-18-pro-co-the-tang-vot-vao-nam-sau-20251023115907849.htm