Apple Downgraded Over iPhone 18 Pro Price Risks

GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu has downgraded Apple's stock from 'Buy' to 'Hold', citing rising costs for TSMC's silicon wafers and inflationary pressures on NAND and DRAM memory. This will likely result in a price hike of $200 to $300 for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max when they launch in September.

The increasing cost of memory and storage is driving up prices across the global smartphone market. Samsung's recent Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra saw year-on-year pricing rise by $100 for the 256GB and 512GB models, and $200 for the 1TB models. Oppo, OnePlus, and Vivo also announced price rises for Q2 2026.

iPhone prices are expected to follow suit, with Mark Gurman predicting a similar $100 to $200 bump for the smartphone. The foldable iPhone is expected to start at a minimum of $2,000, possibly more due to its premium nature and comparable features to Samsung's new foldable phone.