iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Prices Expected to Rise
▼ Summary
– iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable iPhone will launch at higher prices than predicted, according to Chinese leakers.
– The foldable iPhone is expected to cost over $2,000 in the U.S., with a 10–20% price hike potentially pushing higher configurations past $3,000.
– iPhone 18 Pro may start at 9,999 yuan in China (up ~11% from iPhone 17 Pro), which could translate to a $1,220 U.S. starting price.
– iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB could start at 10,999–11,499 yuan in China, potentially raising U.S. price to $1,300–$1,400.
– Rising component costs, including DRAM increasing from $39 to $145, are driving the price increases, marking a shift from Apple’s usual cost absorption.
Multiple Chinese leakers are now predicting that Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup and its first foldable iPhone will launch this September at prices significantly higher than earlier estimates, signaling a major shift in Apple’s pricing strategy.
The leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital” posted on Weibo that while current iPhone models have avoided price hikes, the iPhone 18 Pro models arriving this fall “will definitely see a price increase.” They specifically warned that the foldable iPhone could be priced 10% to 20% higher than previously expected. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has already reported that the foldable iPhone is expected to “cross the $2,000 threshold” in the U. S., making it the most expensive iPhone ever, surpassing even the $1,999 iPhone 17 Pro Max in its 2TB configuration. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes pricing will not fall below $2,000 and could exceed $2,500. With the new Weibo claims of an additional 10% to 20% bump, even the lowest estimate would push past $2,099, and higher storage configurations could cross $3,000.
Another leaker, “Digital Chat Station,” said it is “highly unlikely” that the iPhone 18 Pro series avoids a price increase. They pointed to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 8,999 yuan starting price in China and suggested Apple could push the 18 Pro to a 9,999 yuan starting price to protect margins. That would place the entire September lineup,including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone,at 10,000 yuan or more, an increase of roughly 11% over the iPhone 17 Pro’s Chinese price. Historically, Apple has kept Chinese and U. S. starting prices roughly proportional, so an 11% rise applied to the iPhone 17 Pro’s $1,099 U. S. price would put the iPhone 18 Pro at around $1,220.
A third leaker, “Instant Digital,” floated an even steeper number, suggesting the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max could start at 10,999 or 11,499 yuan, calling that an expensive price for a non-foldable phone. That would represent a 15% to 20% jump over the current iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 9,999 yuan starting price in China. If mirrored in the U. S., the 256GB model’s starting price could land between $1,300 and $1,400, up from $1,199 today.
These leaker estimates align with a wave of reporting on the rising cost of building the iPhone 18 Pro. Research firm TechInsights estimates that Apple paid about $39 for 12GB of DRAM in the iPhone 17 Pro, a figure that could climb to $145 in the iPhone 18 Pro, pushing the device’s total bill of materials up by roughly 25%. Based on similar cost projections, Apple would need to charge around $1,369 for the iPhone 18 Pro to preserve its current profit margin on the iPhone 17 Pro. Once a pricier new camera system is factored in, The Wall Street Journal estimates a starting price of $1,399 or higher.
The latest rumors follow Apple’s decision to raise prices on most of its devices this week, with the exception of the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed last week that the increases were unavoidable, citing the soaring cost of memory and storage chips as a “hundred year flood.” Apple has historically absorbed component cost swings rather than passing them on to customers, making this round of increases a notable shift in approach.
(Source: MacRumors)
