iPhone 18 Pro may not get the price hike you were worried about — here's why

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A price hike for iPhone 18 Pro? Not if Apple's 'cost management' has anything to do with it

iPhone 18 Pro leak-based render, showing the rear cameras
(Image credit: Front Page Tech)

Great news, Apple fans: the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max may defy the odds later this year and dodge the price hike we all feared was coming.

GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu writes in a new investment note (seen by MacRumors) that, according to new research, there should be no change in pricing from the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. That would mean starting prices of $1,099 and $1,199, respectively, for the next-gen iPhones.

Apple may not need to lower its costs anyway

iPhone 17 Pro review.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)

Pu's new report backs up a prior claim from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo believes that Apple will ultimately prefer to reduce its profit margin on iPhones by not passing on the increased part costs to consumers, if it means increasing market share. Any immediate loss, Kuo argues, can be made up for by the high likelihood of iPhone users spending more on Apple's additional subscription services, like iCloud, Apple Music, Apple TV or Apple Arcade.

Even if the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max don't get price hikes, we are still expecting to see one dazzlingly expensive iPhone this year. The long-rumored iPhone Fold is tipped to launch in the same fall release window as the new Pros, with a price as high as $2,500.

If that's too rich for your blood, then Apple's making you wait for the next generation of cheaper iPhones. The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 are tipped to be coming later in spring 2027. But if you're ready to upgrade in the near future, the iPhone 17e is rumored to be launching very soon — possibly even next week on February 19.

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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