Following price hikes across the rest of Apple’s product lineup, one analyst believes that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro could be hit with a massive $300 increase, a bump that might not be out of the question considering other recent price changes.
Apple increased the price of its Macs, iPads, and other products in June 2025 as a result of increasing RAM and storage costs. Some Mac models saw four-digit price hikes, although the iPhone lineup was left unscathed.
That has long been rumored to change when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro models launch this fall. A report from July 2026 hinted that a price increase of up to 10% was in the cards.
But analyst Jeff Pu has blown that prediction out of the water. According to a post on the X social network, Pu believes iPhone 18 Pro buyers could pay $250 to $300 more than the iPhone 17 Pro price at debut in 2026.
If Pu turns out to be right, the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,399. Buyers of the iPhone 18 Pro Max could expect to fork out at least $1,499 for their new handset.
Simply passing on the costs
While some will no doubt accuse Apple of increasing prices to boost its balance sheet, Pu doesn’t expect that to be the case. He cites the increased costs of components like RAM and NAND storage as key reasons behind the price increase.
The use of TSMC’s 2nm manufacturing process for the iPhone 18 Pro’s A20-series chip is also thought to be a factor in the price bump.
Pu believes that while recent Apple earnings show the iPhone to still be a key driver of growth, iPhone 18 Pro demand could be hampered by the price increases.
However, it’s also important to remember that Pu’s track record is far from impeccable, with plenty of misses in recent years. While a price increase seems likely, $300 is more than has been previously rumored.
Dire expectations
Price hikes on the iPhone 18 Pro versus the iPhone 17 Pro are inevitable. It’s just a question of how much.
Pu isn’t the only one to have dire pricing concerns. Analysts at Counterpoint Research suggested the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost on average $200 more than its predecessor.
While not quite the same, we can use Apple’s previous price increases as a guide. The 11-inch iPad Pro increased from $999 to $1,099, a $100 bump. But the 13-inch iPad Pro saw a $200 price increase to $1,499.
With that in mind, maybe a $250-$300 iPhone price increase isn’t out of the question after all.
Those hoping for a silver lining should note that the 13-inch iPad Pro saw a 15% price increase. A $300 price hike on the iPhone 18 Pro Max would represent a 25% increase depending on the storage configuration.
There’s even more promising news to be found in a July 2026 report that Apple has sought to lessen the impact of increasing costs. It was reported that Apple had pushed display manufacturers for lower prices in an attempt to offset the higher costs of RAM and storage.