iPhone 18 Pro Max May Get Major Price Hike Over 2nm Chip Costs

Apple's next flagship smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, could become the company's most expensive non-folding iPhone yet, according to a new leak. The report suggests Apple may increase the starting price of the handset in China, citing higher manufacturing costs associated with next-generation hardware and rising memory prices. However, Apple has not officially confirmed the pricing or specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

According to tipster Smart Pikachu on Weibo, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could launch with a starting price of CNY 11,000 (approximately ₹1.57 lakh) in China. If accurate, the device would cost around CNY 1,000 (roughly ₹14,200) more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, making it Apple's costliest non-folding iPhone to date. The expected pricing would also place it in competition with several premium foldable smartphones available in the Chinese market.

The reported price increase is said to be driven primarily by the upcoming A20 Pro chipset, which is expected to be manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process. If the rumours prove accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro Max would become the first Apple smartphone to feature a processor built on the newer 2nm manufacturing technology. The report notes that the transition to the advanced process is expected to significantly increase production costs.

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Industry estimates cited in the report suggest that TSMC's 2nm wafers cost around $30,000 each, making them between 50 and 66 percent more expensive than current 3nm wafers. As a result, flagship chips manufactured on the 2nm process are expected to cost more than 20 percent more to produce than existing 3nm chips. The report also claims that Apple has secured more than half of TSMC's initial 2nm production capacity for its A20 chip series.

Apart from chipset costs, rising memory prices are also expected to contribute to the higher production expenses. According to the report, DRAM contract prices increased sharply during the first half of the year, while combined DRAM and NAND spot prices have risen by more than 300 percent. Memory components are now said to account for more than one-fifth of a smartphone's total component cost, compared to around one-tenth to 15 percent previously.

The report also suggests the iPhone 18 Pro Max could feature a new Sony camera sensor with variable aperture technology, although Apple has not confirmed this information. As with all early leaks, the reported pricing, specifications and hardware details should be treated as unofficial until the company formally announces the iPhone 18 series.

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