We've all spent the last year dreading a visit to the supermarkets, where our favourite food, drinks and snacks seem to edge up in price every time. And if you're awaiting the new series of iPhones, it's natural to worry that the same dynamic will play out there. Now a report from research firm TrendForce has added fuel to that fire, predicting that the cost of materials for the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro will jump by around 38% compared with the iPhone 17 Pro.
It's no secret what's driving that cost up, either. As I explained in my previous article, the cost of memory has been climbing inexorably of late. And that trend shows no signs of slowing, largely because demand from the AI industry is sucking up all the supply. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently noted during an earnings call that soaring global memory and silicon costs have created a "100-year flood on memory pricing".
