Key Takeaways
- Apple has reportedly agreed to pay Samsung more for DRAM and NAND memory starting in Q1 2027.
- This could lead to further price increases for iPhones, following recent hikes for older models.
- Oppo and Vivo have reportedly refused the higher prices, potentially switching suppliers.
Apple is set to pay Samsung more for DRAM and NAND memory starting in the first quarter of 2027, according to recent reports from South Korea.
The agreement follows a renegotiation process where Samsung reportedly increased prices for memory components, with Apple agreeing to pay close to $2.00 per gigabit for LPDDR5X RAM and $0.33 per gigabit for NAND storage.
This increase in memory costs could add pressure to iPhone production costs, potentially leading to further price hikes for the iPhone lineup.
Apple has already increased prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with these models launching at $100 more than their 2025 counterparts.
Older models from the iPhone 17 and 16 series have also seen price increases of $100.
The report does not specify how much any future price increases would be, but it suggests that higher component costs could impact retail prices.
Not all smartphone manufacturers accepted the higher prices. Oppo and Vivo reportedly refused Samsung’s revised pricing, potentially switching to alternative suppliers.
Future teardowns of their flagship smartphones could reveal whether they have indeed switched suppliers.
The post highlights the ongoing negotiations and potential impacts on the smartphone market, particularly for Apple.
