More expensive iPhones and MacBooks: TSMC rumored to slap Apple with biggest price increase in years

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently revealed that the company had become the largest TSMC customer, a title formerly held by Apple. Naturally, being TSMC’s single biggest source of revenue has its privileges, and Apple reportedly enjoys many of them. For instance, Cupertino reportedly had priority access to TSMC’s most advanced process nodes, which is also expected to be the case for the TSMC 2 nm process node that Apple is expected to use for the A20 SoC for the iPhone 18 series.

However, it now appears that TSMC is taking advantage of the current situation and is trying to raise prices for Apple. In the wake of Nvidia becoming the largest TSMC client, leaker Fixed Focus Digital has claimed that TSMC CEO C.C. Wei personally visited Apple to demand the company accept “the largest price increase in recent years”. 

TSMC has raised prices of its advanced process nodes for several years in a row now. The pattern is expected to continue for another four years starting in 2026. It was understood that Apple, being the biggest TSMC customer, enjoyed preferential treatment in the form of discounted pricing and priority access to cutting-edge process nodes. TSMC is now looking to charge Apple much more than it previously paid.

iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks could get more expensive in 2026

Assuming the information from Fixed Focus Digital is accurate, and Apple accepts TSMC’s demands, consumers should get ready for more expensive iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads in 2026. The iPhone 18, for instance, could see a meaningful price hike to account for TSMC raising the price of its 2 nm node. 

Similarly, the M6 MacBooks, which are expected in late 2026 or early 2027, could also be much more expensive than the M5-powered variants, especially if we also consider the worsening memory market.

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