We’re still three months or more away from the unveiling of the iPhone 18, and outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook likely won’t be the one to introduce it (given that John Ternus takes over in September). <\/p>\n
But Cook has taken an extraordinary step \u2014 and arguably, taken one for Ternus \u2014 by warning consumers that this iPhone will be more expensive than its predecessors, thanks to an ongoing memory chip price crunch that won’t end anytime soon<\/a>. <\/p>\n SEE ALSO: <\/a><\/p>\n “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers,” Cook told the Wall Street Journal<\/a> in a phone interview. <\/p>\n “But the situation has become unsustainable … the main point is, unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable.” <\/p>\n \n Mashable Light Speed\n <\/p>\n Cook, who added that Apple had already been absorbing the cost of higher component prices in 2026, didn’t specify which products would be more expensive, or by how much. <\/p>\n But with all eyes on the iPhone 18 launch this fall, it’s likely Cook is preparing the ground for Apple’s flagship product to pass on some of the extra component costs to customers \u2014 with increases as high as $200 above iPhone 17 prices. <\/p>\n
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\n Samsung warns memory shortage will be worse next year<\/p>\n