February 27, 2026 – According to South Korean media reports, Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor division (DS) initially aimed for a 60% price hike for memory chips. However, during negotiations with Apple, it quoted a staggering 100% increase, which was surprisingly accepted by the tech giant without hesitation.
This move underscores the seller – dominated nature of the current memory market, where buyers are willing to pay double to ensure a stable supply.
It is understood that the reason behind Apple’s swift decision lies in the soaring prices of LPDDR5X memory, which is crucial for its smartphones. At the beginning of 2025, the unit price of this memory was around 25−29, but by the end of the year, it had surged to $70.
Regarding whether the cost increase will be passed on to consumers, Ming – Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, stated that Apple’s plan is likely to absorb the premium for the iPhone 18. In a volatile market, the iPhone 18 is expected to significantly boost Apple’s shipments, and the company can use the revenue from its excellent services division as a financial cushion.
Currently, Samsung is the main supplier of DRAM memory for Apple’s iPhone series, accounting for about 60% of the market share, with the remaining share shared by SK Hynix and Micron. For NAND flash memory, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Kioxia are the suppliers.
Interestingly, Samsung’s semiconductor division’s high – price sales to Apple have put its own mobile division in a cost predicament. Due to the rising costs, Samsung has had to increase the prices of its latest S26 series in the US market, with the increase ranging from 6% to 16%.
The base model of the S26 has seen a price hike of 40,reaching899, while the Plus version has increased by 100to1,099. Surprisingly, the flagship Ultra 256GB model has maintained its original price.
