Smartphone makers raise flagship prices by $100 amid component shortages

Apple’s recent event unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, each $100 above the prior generation, and even older iPhone models saw the same increase. Google introduced the Pixel 11 at $899, up $100 from the Pixel 10, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra launched at $2,099, also $100 higher than the Fold 7. Sony’s Xperia 10 VIII and Motorola’s new Razr phones each carry roughly $100 more than their last versions, despite limited new features.

The broader market for sub-$100 phones appears to be vanishing as component costs rise. Shortages of key parts, particularly memory chips, are being driven by expanding AI data-center construction, a pressure noted by Nothing CEO Carl Pei, who said the cost of RAM for the Nothing Phone 4A had doubled. Qualcomm’s recent chip price hike further underscores the upward cost pressure across the industry.