Apple to Raise Product Prices Amid Soaring Memory Chip Costs

Technology giant Apple plans to raise the prices of its products in the near future. This move follows a surge in the cost of memory chip components used in their devices.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is nearing the end of his tenure, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that these price increases are now unavoidable. Cook stated that the current production cost situation has reached an unsustainable point.

However, Cook has not yet detailed when these price adjustments will take effect or which specific product models will be directly impacted. This uncertainty also surrounds the launch of the iPhone 18, scheduled for release this coming September.

Memory chips are vital components in smart devices such as mobile phones. However, the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent months has triggered a drastic surge in demand, driving up the price of these components in the global market.

“We are doing our utmost to mitigate the massive cost increases being imposed on us and we are trying to protect customers from that impact. However, the situation is now unsustainable,” Cook said, as quoted from the WSJ on Thursday (18/6/2026).

Cook explained that there is currently an imbalance between supply and demand. On one hand, consumers want new devices; on the other hand, memory manufacturers are significantly raising prices due to limited stock.

In addition to AI demand, geopolitical factors are exacerbating the situation. The conflict in Iran is disrupting the global supply of helium, a gas crucial to the semiconductor manufacturing process. This adds to the overall production cost burden of computer chips.

News of the planned price hike comes during a period of leadership transition at Apple. Tim Cook is scheduled to be replaced by John Ternus as Apple CEO this coming September, after leading the company for 15 years.

So far, Apple has shown strong sales performance. Apple device sales grew by 17% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, driven by high demand in the Chinese market. Previously, Apple also raised the price of the Mac Mini compact computer by approximately US$200 earlier this year.

“We very much need memory prices and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That is the point,” Cook concluded.