Apple’s next flagship is about a month out, likely landing sometime in September. If you had an upgrade penciled in, start rebudgeting now.
Tech analyst Jeff Pu predicts in a research note that the iPhone 18 Pro will start at around $1,399, with the larger Pro Max landing somewhere between $1,449 and $1,499.
Compare that to what’s on shelves today. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, and the Pro Max at $1,199. If the rumored numbers hold, that’s a gen-on-gen jump of roughly 24%.
Apple already raised prices once this year
Back in June, most of the Mac and iPad lineup got more expensive on the back of rising memory prices. The iPhone and Apple Watch mostly dodged that round.
That reprieve looks like it’s over. The increases appear to be coming stapled onto the new iPhones.
Everyone’s phone got pricier this year
Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra last month, which is a straight sequel to the non-ultra Galaxy Z Fold 7 and carried a $100 price increase. The company also shipped a non-ultra Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a worse camera system and a new shape for $1,899. That one was supposed to be the “more affordable” option.
Rumors have persisted that this is the year Apple finally releases its long-awaited foldable. Given where prices are sitting, a foldable iPhone would likely be extremely expensive.
Blame the memory shortage, and expect it to get worse
The AI-driven memory shortage keeps pushing component costs up, and these increases will probably keep adding up over the next year or so.
Phones are only now catching the blast. Gaming hardware has been eating it for a while. The Xbox Series X went up to $799 this month, and Valve engineers have warned that RAM prices are only getting worse after high prices forced the company to release the Steam Machine at a high price.
Which means the $1,399 starting figure isn’t the ceiling on this trend. It’s the opening bid.
