The next iPhone lineup is around the corner – and it’s going to be a different one. The base model iPhone 18 won’t be making an appearance quite yet, as that model has been shifted to a spring release schedule. This September will squarely be on the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the all new foldable iPhone.
Of course, there’s one major elephant in the room: price hikes. It’s inevitable that the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will cost more, which begs the question – is buying an iPhone 17 Pro at today’s prices a good idea?
iPhone 18 Pro is gonna be a modest upgrade from iPhone 17 Pro, though I wouldn’t call it an “S year” at all.
There’s a few headlining features: a smaller Dynamic Island, a variable aperture main camera for granular control over depth of field, a new array of color options (including a red colorway), and Apple’s C2 modem – the first for a Pro iPhone, which’ll also bring 5G connectivity over satellite.
iPhone 18 Pro Max will be getting thicker and packing a much larger battery, which combined with the C2 modem, should yield some incredible battery gains.
There will be your usual chip upgrades, with the A20 Pro (first generation 2nm chip), and the N2 networking chip. iPhone 18 Pro is expected to retain 12GB of RAM, just like its predecessor. Apple will also be redesigning Camera Control to be less prone to accidental engagements.
Apple will likely find ways of surprising us with additional upgrades, but this is what’s known so far.
Now, this is the major point of contention. Apple has already massively increased prices on its iPad and Mac lineup, and warned of additional price hikes coming in the future. It’s almost a guarantee that the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will cost more.
How much more, exactly? It’s hard to know. Some estimates suggest an up to $300 price hike, though Apple could go lower and take a hit on their margins. I’d expect the base model iPhone 18 Pro to cost somewhere between $1199 and $1399, and between $1299 and $1499 for iPhone 18 Pro Max.
This is going to be a major price hike to stomach for most people, especially when the new iPhones will have little to show for the dramatic price increase.
Of course, it’s up to you. Personally, I’d say the iPhone 17 Pro will largely be just as good of a new phone purchase as the iPhone 18 Pro will be, and the 17 Pro will cost less. That’s hard to argue with.
Apple hasn’t yet increased the prices of the iPhone lineup, so you can still purchase an iPhone 17 Pro today for $1099, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max for $1199. If you have an older iPhone and are eyeing an upgrade, it’s likely most sensible to buy last year’s iPhones, even this late into the release cycle.
This AI datacenter driven memory crisis will likely last for a couple more years, so it’ll be a while before we see Apple product prices start to come back down. Act accordingly.
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Michael is 9to5Mac’s Weekend Editor, keeping up with all of the latest Apple news on Saturday and Sunday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and has published numerous apps over the years.
Featuring two built in cables, a built in display, multiple ports, a 25,000mAh capacity, and up to 100W of output – this is one of the best battery banks for recharging your entire Apple ecosystem on the go.
Despite a new version reportedly being around a corner, I still personally believe AirPods Pro 2 are a great deal. They're already equipped with USB-C, and continually gain new software features. With them consistently going on sale, it's a great purchase to make. Features like Adaptive Audio are incredible.
