Apple is pushing OLED panel suppliers to lower their prices for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as the cost of memory chips and other components rises, reports The Elect.
According to the Korea-based report, Apple offered to pay around $70 for the OLED panels, but it could end up paying even less. Industry estimates suggest that Samsung Display and LG Display will supply the panels for around $66.50 each. This would represent a drop of around 20% compared to the prices paid for the OLED panels of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The report states that the price Apple paid for the iPhone’s OLED panels has decreased with each new generation. However, this year’s reduction is unusually steep, especially since the iPhone 18’s OLED panel is expected to require greater manufacturing complexity: Apple will use Samsung Display’s latest M16 OLED material set, which improves luminous efficiency, lifespan and color performance.
Smartphone makers across the board are reportedly trying to offset rising memory costs by cutting spending on purchasing other components, including display panels and camera modules.
According to market research firm UBI Research, Samsung Display is expected to supply 46 million OLED panels for Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup this year, including 2 million for the standard iPhone 18 model, 18 million for the iPhone 18 Pro and 26 million for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Meanwhile, LG Display is expected to supply 41 million panels, including 1 million for the standard model, 19 million for the 18 Pro, and 21 million for the 18 Pro Max.
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro models in September alongside its first foldable iPhone, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring 2027. Analysts suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could start at $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. In other words, a $200 jump over their predecessors, with rising memory and storage costs largely to blame.
