Iphone 18 Pro Apple leaks now center on cost, not features. Counterpoint Research said the iPhone 18 Pro Max bill of materials could rise by almost $300 from the prior model, putting the expected build cost near $800.
That would squeeze Apple even if it lifts prices by $200 this year. Buyers may see a pricier Pro Max, while the company still absorbs a margin hit if parts costs rise faster than retail.
Counterpoint Research and the $800 BOM
Counterpoint Research put last year’s Pro Max BOM around $500 and said the next model could reach $800. The gap is large enough that a modest retail increase would not fully offset it.
Memory chips and the processor are the main drivers of the increase. For readers weighing an upgrade, that means the most expensive parts of the phone are getting pricier before Apple adds its own markup.
NAND, Sandisk, and supply pressure
Counterpoint Research said NAND flash will be the costliest component in the iPhone 18 Pro Max. NAND flash and dynamic random-access memory are also the parts expected to post the biggest jump in the BOM.
Sandisk is on the list of Apple’s flash storage suppliers, and Sandisk and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing could benefit if Apple’s higher component costs come with higher volumes. Gartner predicts NAND flash prices could jump by 234% in 2026, which helps explain why storage is the pressure point here.
Apple’s margin math
Apple had 315 million users on iPhones that were at least four years old during the iPhone 17 launch. Apple also increased its market share by four percentage points year over year in Q2 2026 to 20%, and its smartphone shipments rose by more than 6% in 2025 to almost 248 million.
That gives Apple a large base that can move up to newer models, but the pricing question stays open. Will Apple pass the higher bill of materials through to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, or keep the retail increase below the jump in component costs?
