I never thought I’d say this, but a $1,199 smartphone might be…reasonable. With the entire industry being caught up in big price hikes owing to the RAMmageddon and rising component costs, tech seems like a luxury purchase now. Apple is reportedly preparing to increase iPhone prices when the iPhone 18 Pro generation arrives, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
But rather than following some of the nastier $200-plus predictions we’ve heard recently, it might settle for a considerably smaller bump. If you think Apple is being generous, think again. The real reason could be competitors, like Samsung and Google, keeping the price hikes in check. Even then, the iPhone 18 Pro could start around $1,199, up from the current iPhone 17 Pro’s $1,099 price.
Samsung and Google may have done Apple buyers a favor
Neither Android rival has escaped rising component costs. Google’s new Pixel 11 starts at $899, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL cost $1,099 and $1,299 respectively. Google previously confirmed that rapidly rising memory costs were forcing it to adjust prices. Samsung made a similar move with the Galaxy S26 generation. Its Galaxy S26 currently starts at $899.99 with 256GB of storage, while the S26 Plus costs $1,099.99.
Both represent $100 increases over their predecessors. Gurman believes Apple has been watching those moves closely. Keeping the iPhone increase around the same $100 mark would leave its flagship pricing in broadly familiar territory while allowing Apple to absorb some of its higher production costs itself.
$1,199 suddenly looks like the good outcome
Only a couple of months ago, the outlook was considerably uglier. IDC revised its expectations after Apple sharply increased Mac and iPad prices, suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could climb by around $200. That would mean that the smaller Pro could start at approximately $1,299, while other reports claim prices tag as high as $1,399.
Separate supply-chain analysis has also highlighted dramatic increases in DRAM and NAND costs heading into the next iPhone generation. A $100 increase would consequently count as Apple absorbing a meaningful chunk of the cost. Keep in mind that None of this is confirmed pricing. Apple hasn’t announced the iPhone 18 Pro yet, and its final price could still change before launch. Still, after months of warnings about $1,300 and even pricier Pro iPhones, $1,199 suddenly sounds almost merciful. It’s just a strange world we live in now.
