Apple Lifts iPhone Pro Prices by $100 — Less Than Some Memory-Cost Forecasts Feared

Apple raised the starting prices of its flagship Pro iPhones on Wednesday, but the increases came in below what some component-cost analysts had anticipated as memory prices climb.

The iPhone 18 Pro now starts at $1,199, a $100 step up from last year’s iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max begins at $1,299. Above both sits the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable, priced at $1,999.

The memory backdrop loomed large ahead of the launch. TrendForce had modeled a price bump of $150 to $200, projecting that memory costs for the 256GB configuration could run nearly 400% above year-ago levels. One analyst had suggested the cost pressure could translate into price increases of as much as $300. Against those estimates, a $100 increase represents a comparatively modest pass-through to consumers.

The move has implications on both sides of the ledger. For buyers, the higher entry points add to the cost of upgrading to Apple’s premium tier. For Apple, holding the increase to $100 despite surging memory input costs suggests the company is absorbing part of the component inflation in its margins rather than passing it all along.

Shares of Apple traded at $325.02 on Wednesday, up 2.21% from the prior close of $318.00, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $4.6 trillion. The stock’s move came as investors digested the product lineup alongside the revised pricing structure.

Memory pricing has been one of the more volatile pieces of the smartphone bill of materials, and the gap between forecast and actual increases will likely shape how analysts model Apple’s hardware margins in upcoming quarters. Whether Apple holds these price points through the year — or adjusts them as component contracts roll over — remains an open question.

What to watch

• Apple’s next quarterly earnings report, where hardware gross margin trends will show how much memory-cost inflation the company absorbed.
• Memory spot and contract pricing through the rest of the year, given TrendForce’s projection of a steep year-over-year increase.
• Early demand signals for the iPhone Duo foldable at its $1,999 price point.

Source: original release