iPhone 18 Pro Max could be significantly more expensive to manufacture compared to its predecessor. The handset, which could be joined by the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra, is expected to debut at Apple’s September event. While the Cupertino-based tech giant has yet to confirm any details, a market research firm has analysed its estimated cost of components. Overall, the highest storage variant of the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be approximately $300 (roughly Rs. 28,600) more expensive than its predecessor.
iPhone 18 Pro BoM Comparison
According to a new bill of materials (BoM) estimate from Counterpoint Research, the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s component cost could approach $900 (roughly Rs. 85,800) for the 1TB storage variant, compared to roughly $550 (roughly Rs. 52,400) for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This increase is attributed to soaring prices of memory components. NAND storage reportedly accounts for the largest increase, followed by DRAM.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 18 Pro Max BoM Cost Comparison
Photo Credit: Counterpoint Research
Another significant contributor to the increased production costs could be the A20 Pro chipset, which is expected to power the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It is said to be introduced this year as Apple’s first 2nm flagship chipset for mobile devices. Advanced semiconductor packaging and fabrication processes could make the SoC more expensive than the A19 Pro used in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The market analysis firm also expects camera costs to witness a modest rise. However, the display costs and several other components could become slightly cheaper, which could help partially offset the increases elsewhere.
However, Apple may not pass on the entire increase to customers across every storage configuration. Instead, the Cupertino-based tech giant could adopt uneven pricing across storage tiers to preserve profit margins, particularly for higher-capacity variants. But even if Apple raises the average retail price of the iPhone 18 Pro Max by around $200 (roughly Rs. 19,000), the research firm estimates the handset could still generate slightly lower gross margins than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Previously, market research firm IDC forecasted that the iPhone 18 lineup may become Apple’s most expensive smartphone series yet. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are anticipated to receive price increases of up to $200 over the current models. If accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro could start between $1,249 (roughly Rs. 1.18 lakh) and $1,299 (roughly Rs. 1.23 lakh), while the iPhone 18 Pro Max may be priced between $1,349 (roughly Rs. 1.28 lakh) and $1,399 (roughly Rs. 1.32 lakh).
