Would You Pay $300 More For The iPhone 18 Pro? Here’s Why Apple May Raise Prices

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is reportedly set to begin with 256GB of storage, matching the base capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro.

Taiwanese research firm TrendForce reported the expected storage configuration while highlighting sharply rising component costs.

The iPhone 16 Pro started with 128GB. Apple doubled that capacity to 256GB with the iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 18 Pro is unlikely to receive another storage upgrade this year.

TrendForce did not specifically mention the iPhone 18 Pro Max, although both Pro models have shared the same starting capacity for the past two generations.

Despite unchanged base storage, buyers could face significantly higher prices.

TrendForce considers retail price increases for the iPhone 18 Pro range ‘unavoidable’ because component expenses have risen.

The ongoing memory-chip shortage has pushed up RAM costs. Storage chips and Apple’s A20 Pro processor are also expected to become more expensive.

Reports suggest US starting prices could rise by $200 to $300 over the iPhone 17 Pro. This could take the iPhone 18 Pro to as much as $1,399 and the Pro Max to $1,499.

Apple has already increased prices for several products, including Macs, iPads, Apple TV, HomePod models and Vision Pro.

The company attributed the hikes to soaring memory costs linked to expanding AI data centres.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously described higher prices as unavoidable amid the memory-pricing surge.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026.

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