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The iPhone 18 Pro is just a little over a month away, likely debuting sometime in September, but if you were planning on upgrading, you should probably get ready for a higher price tag.
Apple has already raised prices on most of its Mac and iPad lineup back in June, due to increased memory prices, but the iPhone and Apple Watch were largely unaffected. However, the price increases seem like they’re coming stapled onto the new iPhones. According to a research note spotted by 9to5mac, tech analyst Jeff Pu predicts that the iPhone 18 Pro will start at around $1,399, with the larger iPhone Pro Max starting somewhere between $1,449–$1,499.
To put that into perspective, right now you can get the iPhone 17 Pro starting at $1,099 for the regular size, and $1,199 for the Pro Max. If these rumored prices are to be believed, it’ll make for a gen-on-gen price increase of around 24%.
This has been an expensive year for smartphones all around. Just last month, Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which is essentially just a straight sequel to the non-ultra Galaxy Z Fold 7, which carried a $100 price increase. The company also launched a non-ultra Galaxy Z Fold 8 with a worse camera system and a new shape for $1,899 – which was supposed to be the “more affordable” option.
There have been rumors that this will be the year Apple will release its long-awaited foldable. But, with prices being what they are this year, a foldable iPhone would likely be extremely expensive.
These price increases will probably keep adding up over the next year or so, as the AI-driven memory shortage continues to drive prices up. While it’s only now starting to hit phones, gaming hardware has been no stranger to these price increases. The Xbox Series X, for instance, went up to $799 this month, and Valve engineers have warned that RAM prices are only getting worse, after the high prices forced the company to release the Steam Machine at a high price.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
