Apple Raises All iPhone Prices by £100 as AI-Driven Memory Costs Jump 300%
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Apple Raises All iPhone Prices by £100 as AI-Driven Memory Costs Jump 300%
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 21
Summary
Apple lifted prices across all iPhones by £100 after its latest launch, extending the increase to older models and even refurbished units, which rose £60 to £70.
Memory costs are driving the move: IDC says RAM prices are up more than 300% year on year as AI datacentres absorb supply, with some chips now costing five times earlier levels.
That squeeze is spreading across consumer electronics. Samsung and Google have added up to £80 to flagship phones, while Apple, Microsoft, Dell and others have also raised prices on PCs, tablets and consoles.
IDC now expects global smartphone sales to fall almost 17% this year to just over 1 billion handsets, with lower-end devices hit hardest as buyers pay more and upgrade less often.
SK Hynix and IDC see memory shortages and higher prices lasting into 2027 and possibly beyond 2030, suggesting today's increases may stick even after component costs eventually ease.