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According to a source, Apple's iPhone 18 range may include a price increase next year, following years of the corporation releasing its handsets at the same price. While the Cupertino business is likely to deliver new handsets with a next-generation 2nm 'A20' processor, the expense of manufacturing these chips may cause iPhone 18 pricing to climb. Apple is also slated to introduce the rumored 'M6' processor in 2026, which is reported to be a 2nm chipset for the Mac and iPad.
Apple is expected to use TSMC's 2nm process technology in 2026
In a Weibo post, user Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) says that Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek will employ TSMC's breakthrough 2nm manufacturing technology in the future. Apple is scheduled to get the first of TSMC's new 2nm processors, which are projected to appear in the iPhone 18 series, which might launch in the latter part of 2026.
The tipster claims that the cost of developing these 2nm processors is "expected to increase significantly," implying that the iPhone 18 range may include a price boost. Prices for handsets powered by Snapdragon and MediaTek processors are also expected to climb, but it is unclear which phones will be outfitted with the new chips.
According to the leaker, smartphone aficionados should not anticipate Apple's A19 Pro, Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, or MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processors to be manufactured using TSMC's 2nm technology. These chips are claimed to be created on TSMC's N3P node, which was also utilized in the A18 Pro.
TSMC is preparing new facilities for the manufacturing of next-generation 2nm chips, with fabrication set to commence in the coming months. According to previous sources, Apple might be the first to acquire TSMC's 2nm chips, which are believed to be more expensive than those created using TSMC's most recent N3P node.
If Digital Chat Station's predictions are correct, Apple might raise the price of the iPhone for the first time in almost five years. Since the iPhone 12, the business has marketed the base model for $799 (approximately Rs. 68,200), however the increasing cost Apple building the smartphone's processor may result in the cost being passed on to users.
In December 2024, a research projected that the transition from TSMC's 3nm node to 2nm would cause the price of a CPU to rise from $50 (approximately Rs. 4,300) to $85 (about Rs. 7,300), a 70% increase. At the time, it was expected that only the iPhone 18 Pro versions would arrive with 2nm CPUs, allowing Apple to keep the iPhone's basic price intact.
However, Apple may suffer increased expenses as a result of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on semiconductors and the electronics supply chain, which were suggested earlier this week. If the business decides to shift a percentage of its iPhone manufacture to the United States, production prices would rise, and customers may have to pay more for future iPhone models.
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