Apple Expected to Pay 230 Percent Premium for iPhone 17 Pro RAM Chips In 2026: Report

Apple has reportedly started looking for new hardware suppliers, as the price of the 12GB LPDDR5x RAM is said to have increased by nearly 230 percent. Featured on the flagship iPhone 17 Pro series and iPhone Air, Samsung is said to be the primary supplier for Apple's memory sticks. A tech blogger claims that Apple has been unable to find a new supplier for its RAM. Hence, it has begun negotiating the terms of agreement with the South Korean tech giant. This appears to be an industry trend, where many OEMs have been forced to increase the prices of the handsets because of the rising costs of components.

Apple Reportedly Negotiating New Contract Terms With Samsung for RAM

Tech blogger Lanzuk (@yeuz1122) writes that the price of the 12GB LPDDR5x RAM, which is found in the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, has surged more than 230 percent. The RAM, which Apple sources from Samsung, was reportedly priced between $25 (about Rs. 2,200) and $29 (about Rs. 2,600) per unit when the initial contract was signed between the two giants. However, the same component now costs $70 (roughly Rs. 6,300) per unit, the tech blogger wrote. This has resulted in an increased cost of manufacturing for the Cupertino-based company.

As a countermeasure, Apple is said to be looking to diversify its supplier portfolio. The iPhone-maker is reportedly exploring deals with more RAM suppliers. However, Apple has reportedly been unable to find a suitable supplier, forcing it to continue sourcing memory components from Samsung. Consequently, the US-based company and the South Korean tech giant have reportedly begun negotiating new contract terms.

The tech blogger claims that Apple had acquired large quantities of memory sticks initially, which currently puts it in a relatively secure position. But that could change soon as the demand for the flagship iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the new iPhone Air continues to rise.

This comes at a time when smartphone makers across the globe have started feeling the pinch from the rising prices of RAM and other components. Recently, the market research firm Counterpoint revised its Global Smartphone Shipment Tracker and Forecast for 2026, stating that the global smartphone shipments will likely shrink by 2.1 percent next year. As more DRAMs get redirected towards the AI industry, this shortage could worsen in the coming months.

The research firm said that the rising memory shortage has resulted in an increase in bill of materials (BoM), making it difficult for OEMs to acquire RAM at the price they could earlier. Due to this market trend, many tech firms are expected to raise the prices of their devices. Recently, news of Apple increasing the price of its standard iPhone 17 started making the rounds. However, the tech giant was quick to dismiss such claims.