Apple's 2026 Launch Calendar and Cost Pressure

TrendForce reported that Apple plans to change its product launch calendar from 2026, dividing new models into autumn and spring periods. This fall, Apple's first foldable smartphone, iPhone 18 Fold (tentative name), will be introduced along with the flagship iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The standard iPhone 18 and other models are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2027.

Memory prices have entered a major upward cycle since the second half of 2025, and this puts significant pressure on the cost of Apple's new models. According to TrendForce, memory costs for the 256 GB Pro model in the third quarter of 2026 are expected to be approximately 400 percent higher than the previous year. Despite Apple's efforts to negotiate lower prices on other components, these savings are unlikely to offset the pressure on overall BOM costs.

TrendForce noted that increases in retail prices are becoming increasingly inevitable as hardware costs remain high. But given the weak global macroeconomic environment, more cautious consumer spending, and Apple's strategy to expand its market presence, TrendForce expects the company to adopt a relatively conservative pricing approach. It is anticipated that the prices of new models will increase by approximately 10-20 percent, with Apple bearing some of the costs to maintain its market share.