Apple preparing to raise iPhone 18 Pro price by $100, Gurman says

Apple ↘ 0.52% is preparing to raise iPhone prices by approximately $100 when it unveils the iPhone 18 Pro next month, following similar moves by Samsung and Google Alphabet Inc. ↗ 0.78%, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman reported that the iPhone faces the same memory and chip supply chain pressures that prompted Apple to raise Mac and iPad prices by about 23% two months ago. A price increase on the iPhone "remains inevitable," he wrote, though he characterized the expected $100 bump as a "fairly modest" adjustment given the severity of the memory crunch.macrumors+1

Pricing and Market Context

Matching the $100 increase already implemented by Samsung and Google on their latest smartphones would put the iPhone 18 Pro's starting price at $1,199, up about 9% from the iPhone 17 Pro's $1,099 starting price. Gurman noted that Apple is absorbing some of the added costs itself, pointing to the company's warnings about pressure on gross margins this quarter.appleworld+1

Apple has been closely observing how consumers responded to Samsung's and Google's summer price hikes. Both companies raised prices on their flagship devices primarily due to the ongoing shortage of memory and storage chips. Forbes reported that this gives Apple a "last-mover advantage," as consumers have already been conditioned to expect higher prices across the smartphone market.forbes

September Launch and Staggered Strategy

Apple is widely expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. If Apple follows its recent launch pattern, pre-orders could begin around September 11-12, with retail availability around September 18.brut+1

In a departure from previous years, Apple is reportedly splitting its iPhone launch across two windows. The Pro models and a foldable iPhone are expected in September, while the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air are being pushed to spring 2027.appleworld+1

Expected Features

The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to feature a new A20 Pro chip based on a 2nm manufacturing process, a smaller Dynamic Island, a next-generation C2 modem, camera upgrades including a possible variable-aperture main camera, and new color options. Apple's new Upgrade subscription program could help soften the price increase by allowing buyers to spread costs across monthly payments.macrumors+1

Gurman suggested Apple has room to push prices even higher, noting that Mac and iPad increases were far steeper and that the iPhone benefits from an unusually loyal customer base.macrumors