Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 lineup could be more expensive, and the reason is a major change in its chip technology. According to a report from DigiTimes, the new A19 chip — expected to power the iPhone 18 — will use TSMC’s 2-nanometer (2nm) process, which is more advanced and costly than the current 3nm process used in the iPhone 15 Pro.
TSMC, Apple’s chip supplier, is set to start making 2nm chips in the second half of 2025. This new chip process offers better performance and improved energy efficiency, but it also comes with a much higher production cost. That means Apple might raise the prices of the iPhone 18 models to balance the added cost.
Apple usually introduces new chip technology in its Pro models first, so the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could be the first ones to get the 2nm A19 chip. The standard iPhone 18 models may still use an older chip, like the A18 or A17 Pro.
In short, while the new chips could make iPhones faster and more power-efficient, buyers might have to pay more for those upgrades, especially in the Pro models of the iPhone 18 series. Apple hasn’t confirmed any of this yet, but more details should come out closer to the launch.