Prices for new Apple smartphones are likely to rise significantly, with the foldable iPhone Ultra expected to be the most expensive. Estimate based on resources phone arenaits cost in the United States is approximately $2000-2500.
This estimate is mainly based on leaks from Vodafone. On the company’s Egyptian website, the foldable iPhone Ultra briefly appeared with a price tag of 155,750 Egyptian pounds ($3,057), which is about 75% more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro, which currently sells for 88,799 Egyptian pounds ($1,743) in Egypt. In Australia, Vodafone is said to have said the new product will start at AU$3,699 (US$2,665), which is 85% higher than the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro – AU$1,999 (US$1,440). Assuming that the iPhone Ultra is about 80% more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro in the US, it will cost around $1,999.
analyst TrendForce Giving a higher estimate: According to their predictions, the iPhone Ultra will be priced from $2,099 to $2,299, with higher configurations likely to cost more than $3,000. The cost of the first foldable iPhone will serve as an important price guide for the next generation of devices.
One of the features of iPhone Ultra should be its increased structural strength. According to rumors, the smartphone will feature a hinge made of liquid metal with a teardrop-shaped cavity inside that is designed to reduce mechanical stress. This design may give the device an advantage over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and other foldable smartphones. However, for the foldable design, Apple is expected to make some compromises compared to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: the iPhone Ultra is believed to lack a telephoto lens with optical zoom and Face ID.
TrendForce believes that Apple’s strong brand should ensure that the first foldable iPhone attracts high interest from consumers. However, due to the relatively late start of shipments and limited initial production and inventory, its impact on the foldable smartphone market will not be immediately apparent. By the end of 2026, such devices are expected to account for only about 2% of the global smartphone market.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max should not increase in price so much. According to leaks from Vodafone Egypt, these models will be priced at 98,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,924) and 105,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,061) respectively in the country, making them approximately 10% and 11% more expensive than their predecessors. If Apple raised prices by a comparable amount in the US, the increase would be about $100. In this case, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will start at $1,299 — the same price as the current Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. At the same time, the next generation Galaxy S27 Ultra is also expected to increase in price.
One of the main reasons for the price increase for new iPhones will be global shortages and sharp increases in memory prices. Price increases will continue from the second half of 2025. According to data from TrendForce, the memory cost of Apple’s 256GB iPhone 18 Pro in the third quarter of 2026 will be nearly 400% higher than the same period last year. The company is trying to compensate for this by lowering the purchase price of other components, but the resulting savings are not enough.
According to TrendForce, the price of new iPhone models will increase by about 10-20%. At the same time, Apple is expected to absorb some of the increased costs and sacrifice some profit margins to maintain sales and market share.
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