iPhone 18 Pro Starting Price May Reach $1,319, Setting a New Record High for Apple
nashnova research
TrendForce predicts the iPhone 18 Pro will start at $1,319 — roughly 20% above the current generation; the main driver is a near-400% surge in memory costs, and Apple is walking a tightrope between pricing and market share.
$1,319 — where does that number come from?
TrendForce forecasts the base 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro at $1,319, up about 20% from the iPhone 17 Pro's $1,099.
This means → Apple's flagship entry price would hit a record high, pushing the "base Pro" firmly into the $1,300 tier.
The entire iPhone 18 lineup is expected to rise 10–20% in price — not just the Pro.
Why such a sharp increase?
The core driver is memory costs — the 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro's memory bill has surged an estimated 400% year-on-year.
In plain terms = the storage chip inside the phone — where photos and apps live — now costs nearly five times what it did a year ago, and that cost flows into the sticker price.
TrendForce still calls Apple's pricing strategy "moderate," arguing that Apple is absorbing part of the component-cost increase rather than passing it all through.
Why not pass the full cost on to buyers?
The global economy is soft and consumers are cautious — too steep a hike could push users to delay upgrades or switch to Android.
This means → Apple is choosing to sacrifice some margin to protect market share, rather than reflecting the full 400% memory surge in retail prices.
This reflects a reality: even the consumer-electronics brand with the strongest pricing power cannot raise prices at will in the current climate.
How much for the foldable iPhone?
TrendForce expects the foldable iPhone to start at $2,099–$2,299, with the top configuration possibly exceeding $3,000.
In plain terms = the entry-level foldable costs roughly as much as two current iPhones; the top spec, three.
The device is expected to carry a dual-camera setup and a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor — not Face ID — a sign of deliberate spec trade-offs.
When does it launch, and could prices ease later?
Apple plans to hold its product event on Wednesday morning, California time, where the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the first foldable iPhone are expected.
The standard iPhone 18 and other models are delayed to Q1 next year, splitting the product cadence.
Whether memory costs retreat in coming quarters is the key variable for any future pricing relief — if memory peaks and turns down, the next round of pricing pressure eases significantly.
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