Apple Agrees to Samsung's Higher Memory Prices for 2027

By Peter, 17 September 2026. Apple has reportedly accepted Samsung's proposed increases to mobile memory prices that will take effect in the first quarter of 2027, a change that follows recent $100 retail hikes across several iPhone lines.

The immediate consumer context is the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, scheduled for tomorrow, which carry price tags $100 higher than their 2025 predecessors. Apple also raised prices by $100 on earlier iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 models. New reporting from Korean publications indicates those increases may not be the last, because component costs for DRAM and NAND are rising.

Memory price terms and timing

Korean outlets say Samsung has renegotiated DRAM and NAND contract prices with multiple smartphone makers and that Apple has agreed to the new terms. Reported supplier pricing to apply from Q1 2027 is close to $2.00 per gigabit for LPDDR5X RAM and $0.33 per gigabit for NAND storage. For comparison, Samsung's prices in Q3 2026 were about $1.50 per gigabit for LPDDR5X and $0.26 per gigabit for NAND, according to the same reporting.

LPDDR5X refers to the current mobile DRAM standard used in high-end smartphones; NAND denotes flash storage chips used for onboard capacity. The reports attribute the higher per-gigabit figures directly to Samsung's renegotiation efforts rather than to confirmed retail decisions by handset makers.

Other manufacturers' responses

The reports name other manufacturers called back to the negotiating table but say Oppo and vivo declined to accept Samsung's higher prices. Those companies' supply choices will likely become clearer only after teardowns of their upcoming flagship phones reveal component sources. The reporting does not specify alternative suppliers or detailed contract terms for any non-Apple makers.

According to Korean reports, Apple will pay roughly $2.00 per gigabit for LPDDR5X and $0.33 per gigabit for NAND beginning Q1 2027.