We’re days away from Apple’s “Surprise and shine” event, where we expect the tech giant to unveil its first foldable iPhone (which could be called the iPhone Ultra), along with the premium models of the iPhone 18. You can expect better battery life and a variable aperture camera. But that’s not what everyone really wants.
When we asked CNET readers one thing they’d change about the iPhone in our Big Guessing Game, 16% said they want it to cost less. But that’s wishful thinking.
TrendForce, a global market research firm, released a report on Thursday suggesting you can expect higher prices instead of steep discounts. The firm expects the iPhone 18 series to cost 10 to 20% more due to the ongoing RAM shortage and higher hardware costs.
“For the 256GB Pro model, memory costs in [the third quarter of 2026] are expected to be nearly 400% higher than a year earlier,” TrendForce said. “Despite Apple’s efforts to negotiate lower prices for other components, these savings are unlikely to offset the resulting pressure on overall [materials] costs.”
Apple raised prices on select products in June due to the RAM shortage, but excluded iPhones from the price hikes. Now there’s a chance that Apple could release some iPhone 18 models with higher prices at the September event. TrendForce said it expects Apple to absorb some of the costs to keep prices for the new models as part of a “relatively moderate” pricing strategy.
So exactly how much more are we talking about? Some analysts believe the foldable iPhone Ultra could cost between $2,000 and $2,500. TrendForce predicts the starting price will be slightly higher — between $2,099 and $2,299. The phone could go up to $3,000.
As for the premium models of the iPhone 18, TrendForce expects the iPhone 18 Pro to start between $1,199 and $1,299, and $1,299 to $1,399 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
A TrendForce representative said in an email to CNET that even though upgrades to the processor and optical system are part of the reason for higher costs, the “sharp surge in memory component prices is indeed the single biggest factor driving this price adjustment.”
But higher costs aren’t equivalent to big improvements.
TrendForce says we shouldn’t expect major performance upgrades from Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup. Instead, we should expect a more powerful processor for AI features and power efficiency, better chip cooling technology and power-efficient displays. And the iPhone 18 Pro models’ main camera could have a “mechanical variable aperture” to improve depth-of-field control and dynamic range for different lighting settings.
The really big upgrade is the potential release of the folding iPhone Ultra and bigger batteries for premium iPhone 18 models, TrendForce predicts. The iPhone 18 Pro Max could see the biggest upgrade due to a larger chassis. CNET’s Patrick Holland tested smartphone batteries last year and found that the iPhone 17 Pro Max was the best for battery life, so iPhone 18’s premium models could be an even bigger upgrade from the current model.
