Overview
- Apple CEO Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that passing on some price increases is "inevitable" because rising DRAM and NAND costs have become unsustainable for the company.
- President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that Apple agreed to work with Intel to design and build chips in the United States but neither Apple nor Intel has confirmed the claim.
- Markets reacted to the Trump post with a sharp rally in Intel shares, which rose in double‑digit percentages as traders priced the possibility of a major manufacturing partner for Apple.
- Analysts and consultancies have modeled significant consumer impacts, with one firm estimating up to about $270 in added cost for a premium iPhone Pro configuration to preserve current margins.
- Memory production is concentrated among a few suppliers and large AI buyers have locked capacity through multi‑billion dollar deals, so industry reporting expects only partial relief by 2027 and sustained pressure on prices and product choices.