Apple will announce iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max pricing starting at $1,249-$1,299 and $1,349-$1,399 respectively, according to research firm TrendForce, reflecting a 10-20% increase over the current iPhone 17 Pro lineup. The price hike stems from a dramatic spike in memory costs, which have risen nearly 400% year-on-year for 256GB chips, pushing component costs for the Pro model up roughly 38% overall compared to last year.
The “Surprise and shine” event kicks off Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone, branded the iPhone Ultra. This marks the debut event under new Apple CEO John Ternus, who took office on September 1 and teased in a memo to employees that the company has a “huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal.” Tim Cook has moved to the role of executive chairman.
Why Memory Costs Are Driving the Price Increase
The explosive growth in AI infrastructure deployment has created an industry-wide memory shortage. A year ago, memory accounted for roughly 10 percent of a 256GB iPhone Pro’s component cost; by Q3 2026, that figure has climbed to approximately 34 percent. TrendForce estimates it will exceed 40 percent by the first half of 2027. Apple is reportedly paying around three times more for memory this year compared to 2025.
Despite this pressure, Apple is expected to absorb some of the cost increase through lower margins rather than pass the full burden to customers, using the same strategy it deployed during recent MacBook launches. This approach aims to protect shipment volumes and limit sticker shock, though it will compress Apple’s gross margin on these devices.
TrendForce’s Forecast Sits Between Wider Analyst Estimates
TrendForce’s 14-18% increase forecast sits within the broader 10-20% range and falls between more conservative and more aggressive estimates from other analysts. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests Apple may follow Samsung and Google’s playbook, both of which raised prices by around $100 on their latest flagships, which would put the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199, a 9% increase. Conversely, analyst Jeff Pu reported that Apple will increase iPhone 18 Pro prices by between $250 and $300, placing the base Pro at $1,349-$1,399 and the Pro Max at $1,449-$1,499.
Current iPhone 17 Pro pricing starts at $1,099 for the base model and $1,199 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, making the range of potential increases anywhere from roughly $100 to $400 depending on which analyst proves correct.
iPhone Ultra Foldable Pricing: The $2,000+ Question
Most estimates point to a starting price around $1,999 for the iPhone Ultra, though TrendForce estimates a range between $2,099-$2,299. High-storage configurations could potentially exceed $3,000. Supply will be severely constrained at launch, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on Chinese social media. This pricing would position Apple’s foldable well above its current Pro Max offering and align more closely with Samsung and Google’s ultra-premium foldable tiers.
A Broader Strategic Shift
Apple is also reportedly pushing the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 into early 2027, abandoning the traditional fall flagship launch cadence. Whether this reflects a deliberate strategic choice to segment the market or stems partly from the memory crisis is not clear yet, but the shift means this September’s event will focus solely on Pro and foldable models.
Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak has teased that the company has “more to say” on Wednesday, September 9. The full pricing and feature set for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra will be revealed at that time, giving clarity to what remains one of the most speculated-upon iPhone launches in recent memory.
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