Apple(US:AAPL) Feng Huang Wang·2026-01-28 00:10Core Insights - Apple is facing a significant increase in memory costs for iPhones, with reports indicating that Samsung and SK Hynix may raise LPDDR memory prices by over 80% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 [1][2] - The company is negotiating memory prices on a quarterly basis, which is a shift from the previous semi-annual discussions, suggesting further price increases in Q2 that may be similar to Q1 [2] Group 1 - The rise in memory prices is expected to impact Apple's iPhone gross margins, but the company aims to secure supply and absorb costs to enhance market share during this turbulent period [2] - Apple plans to leverage its service business to recover costs associated with the increased memory prices in the future [2] - The upcoming earnings report will likely focus on the implications of rising memory costs, which may have a more significant impact on stock prices across other industries than on Apple itself [2] Group 2 - For the iPhone 18 set to launch in the second half of the year, Apple intends to maintain its pricing strategy by keeping the starting price unchanged, which could benefit marketing efforts [2] - Apple is aware that other components may also face supply shortages due to the influence of the AI server industry, following the trends seen with memory and T-type glass [2]