Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Outgoing Tim Cook has warned that soaring demand for memory chips driven by the artificial intelligence revolution could force Apple to increase the prices of its products, including future iPhone models.
Speaking in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook said the company had worked hard to shield consumers from rising component costs but could no longer absorb the pressure indefinitely.
“Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” Cook said.
Although he did not specify when the increases would take effect or which devices would be affected, analysts believe the expected launch of the next-generation iPhone lineup could coincide with pricing adjustments.
According to the report, the rapid expansion of AI data centres worldwide has triggered a surge in demand for memory chips and RAM components, leading to steep price increases across the semiconductor industry.
Research firm TechInsights estimated that Apple may need to increase the price of its premium iPhone Pro models by as much as $270 to maintain existing profit margins.
Industry data cited in the report indicated that memory chip prices have risen by more than 50 per cent per quarter since late 2025 as AI companies compete aggressively for semiconductor supplies.
Cook, whose career spans decades in technology supply-chain management, described the current situation as unprecedented.
“There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases,” he said.
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