Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that iPhone price increases are inevitable, with the iPhone 18 Pro expected to cost $100-$200 more due to memory supply shortages and expensive camera upgrades.
- Apple has kept iPhone prices relatively stable since the iPhone X launched at $999 in 2017, with current iPhone 17 Pro at $1,099.
- Mark Gurman predicts significant price hikes this fall, with a potential folding iPhone Ultra possibly starting above $2,000.
When Apple hiked prices last month, one notable product that was spared from the sticker shock was the iPhone. All seven of the iPhone models Apple currently sells, including the two-year-old iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, have the same starting prices as before: $599 for the iPhone 17e, increasing incrementally all the way up to the $1,199 Phone 17 Pro Max.
In just a few weeks, that’s likely to change. After hearing reports for months that the iPhone 18 Pro will come with a price hike this fall, Mark Gurman weighs in with a comment in his latest Power On Newsletter. In no uncertain terms, he says prices will be going up on iPhones this fall. The only question is, how much.
In a response to a reader question about iPhone prices, Gurman says in plain language: “There is absolutely no doubt that Apple will raise iPhone prices, for a variety of reasons.” Chief among them, of course, is the current memory supply crunch that has affected the entire industry and is largely responsible for Apple’s recent Mac and iPad price hikes. But Gurman also says the new camera system in the iPhone 18 Pro, which is expected to have a variable-aperture lens, is also pricier than the current model.
It’s notable that the price of Apple’s high-end iPhone hasn’t really changed much over the past decade. When Apple introduced the iPhone X in 2017 with a $999 price tag, it set a new standard for flagship phones. However, the iPhone 17 Pro, which is most comparable to that model, costs just $100 more, starting at $1,099. Granted, the larger iPhone 17 Pro Max pushes it even higher, with storage options all the way up to $1,999, but iPhone prices have remained remarkably stable for a while, even with bigger screens, more and better cameras, and higher-end components.
As far as the extent of the hikes, Gurman is somewhat unclear, though he says “the iPad and Mac increases in recent weeks have given us a bit of a road map.” Therefore, he expects $100-$200 price increases, and a starting price for the folding iPhone Ultra of “at least $2,000, if not more.” Less clear is whether Apple will adjust the prices of the standard iPhone 17 and 17e, which aren’t expected to get updates until next spring.
