Apple appears determined to keep iPhone prices from creeping higher again, and a new supply chain report suggests the company may pull it off—at least for the base storage options in the iPhone 18 family. The latest analysis points to Apple using its massive buying power to squeeze component costs, allowing the entry-level configurations of the upcoming iPhone 18 models to land at the same price levels as the iPhone 17 lineup.
One of the biggest cost pressure points right now is memory. Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple has been working intensely to avoid price hikes, including negotiating more aggressively with key memory suppliers. The challenge, according to Kuo, is that DRAM procurement has become less predictable: instead of locking in pricing for six months, Apple is now dealing with pricing that can shift every three months. That kind of volatility makes it harder to plan costs, especially for high-volume products like iPhones.
Kuo’s take at the time was that Apple could use the broader DRAM supply crunch as an opportunity—absorbing some of the extra cost rather than passing it on to buyers, potentially giving Apple more room to grow market share through steadier pricing.
Now a fresh supply chain check from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu echoes that pricing-stability theme. Pu says Apple has already put multiple cost control measures in place aimed at preventing price increases across the iPhone 18 range. More specifically, Pu claims Apple’s target is to keep the starting prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max “unchanged or at a similar level” compared to their iPhone 17 counterparts.
If that holds, consumers could see familiar price tags again this cycle, with the iPhone 18 Pro expected to start around $1,099 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max likely positioned at $1,199 in the U.S. for the base storage variants.
The report also reinforces expectations that Apple may split the iPhone 18 rollout into two waves. The higher-end iPhone 18 Pro models would arrive in the fall, while the more mainstream, high-volume versions—often described as the base iPhone 18 and a lower-priced iPhone 18e—could be pushed to spring 2027. The thinking behind this staggered launch is cost management: spacing out releases could help Apple reduce pressure from constrained DRAM supply and the added expense of a next-generation 2nm A20 chip expected to power the iPhone 18 series.
For shoppers, the headline is simple: despite rising component uncertainty, Apple is reportedly working hard to keep iPhone 18 starting prices from jumping, especially on the Pro models—an approach that could make the next upgrade cycle a little easier to justify.
