Apple is facing a new cost squeeze as demand for AI infrastructure pushes DRAM and NAND prices sharply higher. The pressure is now reaching consumer devices, with iPhone and Mac among the products most exposed to memory cost increases.
Tim Cook said Apple has been working to shield customers from the impact for as long as possible. But he also acknowledged that the company is now dealing with a much harder pricing environment.
AI demand is reshaping the memory market
Large technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are buying chips in huge volumes for AI data centers. That buying wave has tightened supply and lifted prices for DRAM and NAND, two memory components used across many electronics products.
Prices have reportedly surged as much as four times compared with last year. As AI orders keep rising, consumer hardware makers are competing for a smaller pool of available supply.
Apple says it cannot absorb every cost forever
In an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, as quoted by Gizmochina, Cook said Apple has done as much as it can to protect buyers from higher component costs. He said the company tried to absorb the increase for as long as possible.
He also described the current supply situation as exceptionally rare, comparing it to a “100-year flood” because of the scale of disruption hitting global component availability.
Mac and iPad could feel it first
Cook did not name which Apple products would be adjusted first, but analysts believe Mac and iPad lines may be the earliest to feel the strain if memory costs stay elevated. Apple has already raised the starting price of the Mac Mini, which market watchers see as an early sign of pricing adjustments.
Attention is also turning to the next iPhone cycle, including iPhone 18 and Apple’s first foldable iPhone. TechInsights has estimated that higher component costs could add about $270 to a future iPhone Pro model, or around Rp4.8 million, making any price move closely watched.
Supply pressure may last for years
Cook said Apple is still considering using its strong balance sheet to secure memory supply over the long term. That is not easy, because many suppliers are already tied up in multi-year AI contracts backed by large upfront payments.
Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology are said to be prioritizing those higher-value AI deals, which makes supply for everyday consumer electronics even tighter. The result could be a memory shortage that stretches into 2027.
The AI boom is therefore influencing more than data center expansion. It is also shaping the prices consumers may pay for iPhone, Mac, and other electronics if memory demand continues to outpace supply.
