IDC predicts iPhone 18 Pro models could see up to $200 price hike

Analytics firm IDC expects Apple to increase the price of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models by up to $200, higher than its earlier forecast of a $100 rise for the premium variants and $50 for the base models. The revised outlook follows a recent price hike for certain Mac and iPad models that reached $300 for some configurations.

"Seeing the price hikes today to iPad and Macs going as high as $300 for some models, my personal instinct says the hike to iPhones may be even higher than what we assumed—perhaps even $200 to the Pro/Pro Max models," IDC Senior Director of Data & Analytics Nabila Popal said.

IDC also notes that Apple plans to launch a foldable iPhone later this year, which could carry an average selling price around $2,500, with higher-storage versions reaching $3,000. The firm suggests that a premium foldable model might help offset increased component costs and limit broader price increases across the lineup.

The anticipated price rise is linked to higher component costs stemming from a global memory shortage. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to feature 12 GB of RAM, a specification that has already driven price hikes on other Apple devices such as the M4 iPad Air and lower-tier M5 iPad Pro, which saw increases of $150 and $200 respectively. IDC projects the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro to fall between $1,249 and $1,299, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max between $1,349 and $1,399.

Despite the higher price, IDC believes the impact on upgrade rates will be limited. It estimates that more than half of iPhones shipped since 2022 will need to be replaced to access new Siri AI features, and that premium-focused buyers of the Pro Max are less price-sensitive, especially when financing options spread the cost over 36 months, equating to roughly $5 extra per month.