When Apple finally debuts the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this fall, analyst Jeff Pu predicts the company will use an "aggressive pricing" policy. This will be done in spite of rising component costs thanks to RAMageddon.
The report, seen by 9to5Mac, comes from a Pu research note where he says Apple will use an "aggressive pricing strategy" for the Pro models.
Earlier this week, during an earnings call, Apple confirmed that the company would start seeing "significantly higher memory costs" this summer. Outgoing CEO Tim Cook said that the rising costs would "drive an increasing impact on our business." While he didn't outright say price hikes are coming, it was strongly implied.
What does aggressive pricing look like?
It's highly doubtful Apple will introduce a price decrease for the iPhone 18 but on the low end that could mean Apple at the very least keeps prices the same. That would align with a previous Pu report and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claimed Apple wants to keep the entry models the same price as the iPhone 17 Pro.
In this case that means $1,099 and $1,199 for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, respectively.
Unfortunately, if you prefer, or need more storage, the rumors repeatedly mention higher upgrade prices.
Apple could, potentially, regain some profit by increasing pricing on the higher storage variants. This would reduce the hit to the company's margins while keep the base models the most affordable.
Cook noted that the iPhone 17 was the most successful iPhone lineup to date, and the phone already takes market share from Android devices that have had to raise prices. Even keeping one variant the same price would likely eat even more into that pie.
We'll know for sure what Apple's plans are come September when the Cupertino-giant typically launches its newest iPhones. This year's edition is expected to feature the Pro models and the long-rumored foldable iPhone Ultra.
