With the iPhone 18 Pro unveiling just days away, new estimates suggest Apple is planning a significant price jump. Supply chain research firm TrendForce predicts that the base model of the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,249–$1,299—around $150–$200 more than the current iPhone 17 Pro. The Pro Max is expected to see a similar increase, with a projected starting price in the $1,349–$1,399 range.
In addition to the Pro series, Apple’s first foldable model—reportedly dubbed the iPhone Ultra—may carry an even steeper price tag. TrendForce anticipates its base price will fall between $2,099 and $2,299, with top-tier storage variants potentially exceeding $3,000.
What’s Driving Prices Up?
The primary culprit behind the surging price tags is a dramatic rise in memory and component costs. One key finding: the price of a 256GB memory chip has soared nearly 400% over the past year. Meanwhile, the total bill of materials (BOM) for a 256GB Pro-class phone is reportedly up about 38% year-over-year.
Though Apple may absorb some of the increased cost via slimmer margins, the overall inflationary pressure appears too large to ignore. Last year, Apple avoided hiking prices on the Pro Max and only made a modest increase on the Pro. This time, the pressures from heightened demand—especially for AI infrastructure—could force steeper markups for both models.
The iPhone 18 (non-Pro version) isn’t expected to launch until spring 2027, but TrendForce believes it will also follow the 10–20% price bump trend from last year’s models.
The new pricing details are expected to become official during Apple’s “Surprise and shine” keynote, scheduled for September 9, 2026.
From a broader perspective, this price rise underscores Apple’s balancing act: keeping up with spiraling component and memory chip costs while managing consumer expectations. As tech inflation hits the supply chain hard, Apple’s approach will reveal how much it can absorb versus pass along.
