Highlights
- Apple has reportedly agreed to pay Samsung double the previous price for LPDDR5X memory chips.
- The sharp price hike reflects tightening mobile DRAM supply, as major chipmakers shift production toward HBM for AI servers.
- Apple plans to keep the iPhone 18 Pro’s starting price unchanged, as of now.
Apple has reportedly agreed to 100% price hike on Samsung LPDDR5X. (Image credit – 9to5Mac)
Apple has reportedly agreed to pay double the previous price for LPDDR5X memory chips supplied by Samsung Electronics. The tipoff comes from a Korean publication named Dealsite based on industry sources.
The report claims Apple recently held urgent discussions with Samsung’s semiconductor division to finalise RAM delivery volumes for the first half of the year. Samsung had initially been expected to push for a 60% price hike on the LPDDR5X chips supplied to Apple. However, the Korean company instead began negotiations with a 100% markup as a strategy and interestingly, Apple is said to have agreed to the revised pricing immediately.
The 12GB LPDDR5X memory modules used in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models have already seen a sharp price jump since early 2025, climbing from roughly $30 to around $70 per unit.
Let’s start by believing there is some truth to this report. And if that is the case, this swift acceptance underscores how aggressively smartphone manufacturers are trying to secure memory supplies.
Major chipmakers such as SK Hynix and Micron Technology have increasingly shifted production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers. As a result, mobile DRAM supply has tightened significantly.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has already acknowledged during a recent earnings call that higher chip prices would have “a bit more of an impact” on gross margins. As for a possible iPhone price hike, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently indicated that Apple currently plans to maintain the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro despite mounting component costs. Even so, the company expects year-on-year revenue growth in the range of 13% to 16% for the current quarter.
The supply strain is also affecting Samsung’s own smartphone operations.
The report notes that early production of the Galaxy S26 relies on an even 50/50 split of LPDDR5X memory sourced from Samsung’s semiconductor arm and Micron. Both suppliers are reportedly planning substantial price increases after the initial production batch. This is why Samsung is expected to raise Galaxy S26 prices, while using the in-house Exynos 2600 processor for almost 30% of units.
FAQs
Q1. What price change did Apple reportedly accept for Samsung’s LPDDR5X memory chips?
Answer. Apple is said to have agreed to a 100% price increase, with 12GB modules rising from about $30 to around $70 per unit.
Q2. Why are memory prices rising so sharply?
Answer. Major chipmakers like SK Hynix and Micron have shifted production toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers, tightening mobile DRAM supply and driving up costs.
Q3. Will Apple and Samsung raise smartphone prices due to higher memory costs?
Answer. Apple reportedly plans to keep the iPhone 18 Pro’s starting price unchanged, while Samsung is expected to raise Galaxy S26 prices because of similar supply pressures.