Apple’s next big phones, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, are expected to arrive in September 2026. Industry rumours claim big camera improvements and a new A20 Pro chip will increase performance and AI capabilities. Speculation also suggests that growing component costs might lead to higher prices. According to several recent reports, U.S. customers might be facing the highest pricing ever for Apple’s flagship iPhones.
There’s been some confusion and a lot of discussion among experts about the cost of the next iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Expected pricing points are either close to last year’s prices or higher due to increased component costs. Here are the expected starting prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in the US: $1,099 to $1,299 for the iPhone 18 Pro and $1,299 to $1,499 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Some sources have said prices might jump by as much as $200, while others say Apple might choose to keep existing pricing unchanged. This is partly driven by an over $300 increase in the expected cost to manufacture the gadgets. That might mean buyers will be paying the highest costs ever for Apple’s premium smartphone models.
The global AI hardware boom has put considerable pressure on memory prices, particularly on NAND flash and DRAM. This means that the cost of storage components for the 1TB variant will be more than $250 per unit, pointing out the rising costs of producing advanced hardware.
At the same time, Apple will be introducing its much-anticipated A20 Pro chip from TSMC on upcoming handsets, which will be the first CPU manufactured using a 2-nanometre process. The innovation is expected to give better performance capabilities, albeit at an increased production cost.
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Moreover, there are strong rumors about major changes in the next generation of iPhones including a sophisticated variable-aperture primary camera and major battery improvements. For instance, the Pro Max might include a battery capacity of up to 5,567mAh. This is underlining the trend of higher expenses for cutting-edge mobile technology. These improvements are likely to increase the overall budget for manufacturing.
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Apple is expected to hold an iPhone 18 keynote in early September 2026, possibly on September 9. Pre-orders should be available immediately after the event, with public release on September 18, 2026. The Apple iPhone 18 series will come in two phases. The premium models, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the rumoured iPhone Fold, are expected to launch in the autumn of 2026, while the base and entry-level models like the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2 will be released by spring 2027.
