People check the new iPhone 17 lineup at an Apple store in Shanghai on September 19, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Apple is expected to keep the iPhone 18 Pro's price at last year’s iPhone 17 Pro. Yet, this decision may see Apple’s iPhone 18 family more profitable in the final quarter of 2026, with an extra boost in spring 2027.
As with every manufacturer in the consumer electronics space, Apple is having to deal with the increased and reduced supply of memory and storage. Thanks to their buying power and hedging of raw materials and components. Apple is in a better position than most to, but this advantage is fine, especially with the volume of sales the iPhone can generate.
By holding the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max prices steady, Apple will be able to sell its premium iPhone as a balance of value for money against power and performance. It’s not a unique approach; Forbes contributor Janhoi McGregor highlights Samsung’s Galaxy S26 family following a similar path:
"The South Korean company held the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s price flat in the U.S. while raising the cost of the base Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Plus. The Ultra, which is Samsung’s best-selling model, was protected. Everything else absorbed the hit."
And that’s where Apple will find itself. The premium handsets will gather the numbers, the lower-specced vanilla handsets will still sell well, but with a higher sticker price, balancing out the portfolio. Yet there is an interesting timing quirk that could see sales and revenue from the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max climb higher than in previous years.
This year, Apple is delaying the launch of the vanilla iPhone to 2027; the working assumption is that the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Air will launch mid-March 2027, 6 months after the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. That’s the same window as Mobile World Congress, where the majority of Apple’s rival manufacturers will launch their summer season handsets.
I took a closer look at the impact of Apple’s disruption on MWC previously here on Forbes. This delay also disrupts Apple’s user base, and where the former is a challenge, the latter could offer a nice bonus for Apple’s accounts.
While smartphones are expected to last for many years, there remains an annual cycle of new phones to upgrade to, and consumers are still synced with it. When September rolls around, there’s going to be a raft of iPhone users looking for a new iPhone. For those happy with the Pro level, that won't be an issue.
What happens to consumers looking for the base iPhone in September? While the industry knows the iPhone 18 isn’t expected until Spring 2027, the general audience may not be as connected. This will leave them with two choices.
The first would be the iPhone 17. Apple would be crazy to stop selling the current hottest smartphone in the market. No doubt the bill of materials will be lower on this twelve-month-old design, lifting the margins on what will remain the current vanilla handset.
The other option is much more attractive to Apple… they move up to the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. Yes, the price is staying steady, but it's still higher than what those upgrading may be expecting.
Beyond the financial side, there are other benefits for Apple. By lifting these consumers to the next rung in the portfolio, they will hope to keep them there through the next few product cycles. The higher performance in the Pro models also enhances the utility of Apple Intelligence, not just out of the gate, but also in years to come, when more performance is needed, the Pro models will be better able to provide ongoing support.
When March does roll around, and the iPhone 18 is revealed, there could be a price increase on the vanilla model, but that’s going to be tempered by another quirk of Apple’s scheduling. If an iPhone 18e arrives, you’ll have two: one at a lower price and one at a higher price, both on sale. That makes for an attractive package to be sold in Apple Stores around the world and beyond.
No doubt Apple’s financial team will be happy to see more revenue generated across the year rather than the single significant spike every September.
The rising cost of manufacturing smartphones is an issue every manufacturer faces. Because of the volume of sales, Apple is in a better position at most to weather the storm. With two distinct waves of iPhone 18 handsets arriving, Apple can leverage this to their advantage, bringing more users to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max handsets, disrupting Android’s Mobile World Congress launch cycle, and giving the iPhone 18 a clear run as its consumer-friendly champion.
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