According to the latest information posted on Macrumors, market research company IDC believes that Apple is likely to continue to adjust the price of the iPhone 18 line, in which the Pro versions may bear the strongest increase.
Initially, IDC predicted that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would increase by about $100, while the standard versions would increase by $50. However, after Apple simultaneously raised the prices of Mac and iPad this week, analysts believe that the actual increase could be significantly higher.
Ms. Nabila Popal - Senior Director of Data and Analysis at IDC said that the "small drop" price increase period has passed.
Looking at the fact that some Mac and iPad models have increased in price by up to 300 USD, I think iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max can completely increase by another 200 USD," she said.
If this scenario occurs, the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro could range from 1,249 to 1,299 USD, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be at 1,349-1,399 USD.
The main reason comes from the global shortage of memory chips as technology companies step up investment in data centers serving artificial intelligence (AI). Strong demand has caused RAM and storage memory prices to escalate in recent months.
The iPhone 18 Pro line is rumored to be equipped with 12 GB of RAM, equivalent to some high-end iPad models that Apple has recently increased in price. This makes many experts believe that iPhones will hardly avoid price adjustments.
IDC also believes that the price increase will not significantly affect the upgrade demand. A large number of old iPhone users still need to change phones to fully use the new Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features.
For customers who choose the Pro Max version, the price factor is considered not too sensitive. Moreover, the 24- or 36-month installment payment also helps reduce spending pressure, when the increase of 200 USD is only equivalent to about 5 USD per month.
Besides the traditional iPhone line, Apple is said to be launching the first folding screen iPhone model this year. IDC predicts that this device will have an average price of about $2,500, while the highest capacity versions may reach $3,000.
