Industry insiders predict that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will see significant price increases driven by higher memory and storage costs, advanced camera systems, and a cutting-edge 2-nanometre processor, signalling a shift in Apple’s pricing strategy.
Apple’s next Pro iPhones are shaping up to be more expensive, with industry watchers pointing to higher memory and storage costs, a new camera system and the move to a 2-nanometre A20 Pro chip as the main drivers. Reports from the market suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will break with the recent pattern in which Apple held the line on iPhone pricing even as it lifted prices on other products this year.
The clearest pressure comes from the memory market. Tim Cook told The Wall Street Journal that higher memory and storage costs were unavoidable, describing the shortage as a “hundred-year flood”. According to MacRumors and other industry reporting, the squeeze is being fuelled by competition from AI data centres for DRAM and NAND flash, with suppliers such as Samsung and Micron shifting capacity towards enterprise chips. That has left consumer electronics makers, including Apple, facing tighter supply and weaker pricing power.
The expected hardware changes also add to the bill. Ming-Chi Kuo has said the new main camera lens could cost about 50% more than the one used in the iPhone 17 Pro. That comes on top of the A20 Pro processor, which Apple is expected to build on TSMC’s 2-nanometre process, a leading-edge manufacturing node that usually carries a premium. In the United States, Jeff Pu has forecast an increase of $250 to $300, which would put the iPhone 18 Pro at roughly $1,349 to $1,399 and the Pro Max at $1,449 to $1,499. TechInsights, as cited by The Wall Street Journal, has argued that Apple may need to price the model near $1,399 to protect margins.
Not everyone expects such a steep jump. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has said a rise of $100 to $200 looks more plausible, while J.P. Morgan has suggested Apple may limit the increase by saving money elsewhere in the bill of materials. Ming-Chi Kuo has also argued that Apple could choose to absorb some of the pressure and keep prices steady to gain market share while rivals are forced to raise theirs. The company is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro line in the coming weeks, when the pricing debate will finally be settled.
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