The next iPhone generation is expected to arrive next month, accompanied by steeper price tags. Consumers should anticipate increases of at least $100 for the iPhone 18 Pro and other devices debuting at Apple’s September showcase, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max and its inaugural foldable handset (potentially called the Ultra), both slated for September, may see higher price points because an AI‑induced RAM shortfall has created a supply squeeze across smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles and other electronics.
If Gurman’s prediction holds, the iPhone 18 Pro could start near $1,200, a jump from the $1,100 price of the iPhone 17 Pro that hit shelves last September.
Two months prior, Apple bumped prices on certain MacBooks, iPads and HomePods, with some items climbing as much as 33 percent. The iMac jumped from $1,300 to $1,500, the MacBook Neo rose from $600 to $700, and each MacBook Pro variant increased by $300. Last week, the company cut roughly 200 employees from its Vision Pro and Siri divisions and disbanded the Vision Pro gaming unit.
Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Could higher prices sway shoppers?
Should Apple increase its new iPhones by $100, it would align with Samsung’s price bumps for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8, as well as Google’s raises for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro.
Gurman noted in his report that “Apple has room to go higher.” If that happens, Apple’s new Upgrade program—offering lease options for iPhones, iPads, Macs or Apple Watches starting at $18 per month for an iPhone—could help soften the blow.
However, higher iPhone price tags probably won’t deter most Apple enthusiasts, says veteran tech analyst Paolo Pescatore.
“Its massive installed base, ecosystem and increasing use of trade‑ins, financing and monthly installments give it far greater pricing power than most competitors,” Pescatore told Gfaloe. “The bigger risk isn’t customers abandoning Apple, but them opting to hold onto their current iPhone longer.”
Yet loyalty only stretches so far, Pescatore cautioned. Higher price tags must be matched by more significant innovations.
“Samsung and Google lifting prices provides Apple with convenient justification, but steeper costs also raise expectations,” he noted. “Apple must demonstrate tangible progress in AI, camera quality, battery life and novel designs. Brand loyalty is powerful, but Apple still needs to give users a strong incentive to upgrade.”
Is RAMageddon to blame?
Industry players and analysts attribute rising costs for most tech products to component shortages and sharp price jumps for RAM and storage components such as hard drives and SSDs—driven largely by the AI infrastructure expansion undertaken by leading global tech firms.
Although Apple has largely remained on the sidelines while Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google) and Meta have poured billions into AI, the company has still felt the impact of the global memory‑chip shortage, which it says compelled it to raise prices this year.
Yet with a reported profit margin of a striking 27%, Apple appears more than able to maintain affordability for its vast base of devoted customers.