The iPhone 18 Pro could see a significant price increase later this year, with a new report suggesting Apple’s next flagship iPhone may start at as much as $1,399.
The estimate comes from analysis published by The Wall Street Journal following recent comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who warned that rising component costs are becoming increasingly difficult for the company to absorb.
Speaking to the publication, Cook said Apple has been working to protect customers from higher prices but acknowledged that growing costs across the supply chain may make increases unavoidable.
“Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” Cook said. “We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.”
Cook did not confirm whether the upcoming iPhone 18 lineup will be affected, saying Apple is still evaluating its options ahead of the devices’ expected launch in September.
According to research firm TechInsights, prices for DRAM memory and flash storage are expected to rise dramatically by the time the next iPhones enter production. The firm estimates the cost of memory in the iPhone 18 Pro could be several times higher than in the current-generation model.
TechInsights estimates Apple’s total component and manufacturing costs for the iPhone 18 Pro could increase by around 25% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, driven largely by higher memory and storage expenses.
The Wall Street Journal reports that if Apple wanted to maintain profit margins similar to those of the iPhone 17 Pro, the company would need to charge around $1,371 for the entry-level iPhone 18 Pro. However, because Apple typically prefers simpler pricing structures, the publication believes a starting price of $1,299 could be more realistic.
That figure could rise even further if the iPhone 18 Pro receives the upgraded camera system that has been rumored by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Factoring in the additional cost of those camera improvements, The Wall Street Journal estimates the device could start at $1,399 or more.
If accurate, a $1,399 starting price would represent a substantial increase over the $1,099 starting price of the current iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 lineup in September. The company is also rumored to be preparing its first foldable iPhone, which some reports have suggested could start at around $2,000.
