Apple iPhone 18 price details leak, could be closer to iPhone 17

Early leaks suggest Apple may try to keep the iPhone 18's starting price close to the iPhone 17, despite rising component costs and supply chain pressure.

Apple has built a reputation for keeping iPhone prices fairly predictable, even as the phones themselves become more powerful every year. With the iPhone 18 series still many months away, the conversation around pricing has already started heating up, mainly because of reports pointing to rising component costs. However, a fresh note from well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the situation may not be as worrying for buyers as initially feared.

According to Kuo, Apple’s current thinking for the iPhone 18 lineup, expected in the second half of 2026, is to avoid raising prices as much as possible. In fact, the company is reportedly aiming to keep the starting price unchanged, or very close to the current level. Kuo shared on X that maintaining a flat entry price would also help Apple from a marketing point of view, especially at a time when smartphone buyers are becoming more price-conscious.

This comes at a time when several reports have warned that the iPhone 18 could become more expensive due to higher production costs. One of the major reasons is the next-generation A20 chip, which is expected to cost Apple significantly more to manufacture. TSMC, Apple’s long-time chipmaking partner, is dealing with intense demand for advanced chips, largely driven by the rapid growth of AI and GPU-heavy workloads. With many new customers competing for limited production capacity, Apple is reportedly paying more to secure the volumes it needs.

Memory prices are another concern. Industry-wide shortages have already pushed up the cost of memory components, and Apple is not immune to this trend. Kuo claims Apple has moved to quarterly price negotiations with its suppliers, with increases expected across 2026. Some of these hikes are said to be in the range of 10 to 25 percent compared to 2025 levels. Naturally, this has led to speculation that Apple would pass these costs on to customers.

Despite these pressures, Kuo believes Apple will take a more aggressive approach. Instead of immediately raising iPhone prices, the company may choose to absorb much of the increased cost. The idea, according to the analyst, is to use the current supply chain chaos to Apple’s advantage. By locking in critical components, taking a short-term hit on margins, and keeping prices stable, Apple could strengthen its position and attract more buyers.

Kuo also suggests that Apple is comfortable with this strategy because it has other ways to recover the lost margin. Services continue to be a major revenue driver for the company, and Apple may rely on long-term gains from subscriptions and digital services to balance things out. In simple terms, Apple could be willing to earn a little less on hardware today to make more money later through its ecosystem.