The ongoing RAM chip shortage has resulted in higher prices for electronic devices, including many Android smartphones. While some had expected Apple to also raise prices for its upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, one analyst expects them to instead take an “aggressive pricing strategy” for its premium smartphones.
In a research note with GF Securities today, analyst Jeff Pu said he expects Apple to outperform in the smartphone market by taking an “aggressive pricing strategy” for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. He had previously said that he believed the starting prices of the new Pro models would remain the same or increased only slightly compared to the iPhone 17 Pro lineup.
In the U.S., the iPhone 17 Pro currently has a base price of $1,099 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199, with 256GB of storage. Both devices are equipped with 12GB of RAM, and the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to similarly equipped.
While Apple has said that it expects to see “significantly higher memory costs” in the current March-June quarter, its large scale operations give it a good deal of leverage when dealing with RAM suppliers, when compared to most Android smartphone manufacturers. Pu previously said that he expected Apple to find ways to lower the costs of some other iPhone components.
Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, while it is expected to unveil its iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e around March 2027.