Apple is reportedly preparing to keep iPhone 18 prices as stable as possible when the new lineup launches this year, even as memory costs remain under pressure. Jeff Pu said the company could use an aggressive pricing strategy for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max base storage models, keeping starting prices at the same levels as the iPhone 17 Pro lineup.
The move would not mean Apple is ignoring higher component costs. Instead, it may push price increases into higher storage tiers, absorbing some of the pressure on the entry models while preserving a familiar starting point for buyers. For shoppers eyeing the apple iphone 18 pro max, that could mean the headline price looks unchanged even if larger storage options get more expensive.
The timing matters because competitors have taken different paths. Samsung kept the Galaxy S26 Ultra price steady and made up the difference with higher prices on the base model and Galaxy S26 Plus. Weeks later, the eight-month-old Galaxy Z Fold 7 climbed by $80, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 also rose by $80, the Galaxy S25 Edge went up by $80, the Galaxy S25 FE by $40, and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 1TB jumped by $280. Google, meanwhile, has repeatedly slashed the price of the entire Pixel 10 series and is running another Pixel 10 promotion now.
Apple has more room than some rivals to lean on its broader business. In its Q2 2026 results, services revenue rose to $30.98 billion, up 16% year over year, and accounted for 27.9% of total quarterly revenue. The iPhone still brought in $56.99 billion in the same quarter, but the services business has become an increasingly important cushion because it is highly profitable and less dependent on hardware margins than Samsung’s model.
That leaves Apple making a familiar calculation: hold the first number buyers see, then look for ways to recover cost elsewhere. IDC analysts do not expect relief in memory pricing until late 2027, which means the squeeze on phone makers is unlikely to disappear soon. If Apple does keep the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max entry prices unchanged, it would be choosing to protect the launch story now and manage the pressure later, where buyers are less likely to notice it at first glance.
