Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,299 — up from $1,099 for the current model — according to leaks from known Chinese sources cited by MacRumors in June 2026.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max would land at $1,399 at minimum, a $100 increase. The first foldable iPhone is expected to arrive well above $2,000. IDC analysts believe the premium hardware upgrades justify the price shift, but they’ve flagged it as a risk in a market where Android flagships are getting more competitive at every tier.

What Is Driving the Higher Price

The A20 chip, built on TSMC’s 2-nanometer process, is expected to deliver roughly 15% faster performance and 30% better power efficiency than the A19. That alone doesn’t justify a $200 increase.

The bigger factor is the variable aperture main camera — a first for any iPhone. Mechanical aperture controls fitted inside a phone-sized camera module are expensive to manufacture. The camera system in the iPhone 18 Pro will be meaningfully different from anything Apple has shipped before, and suppliers are not absorbing that cost quietly.

Other Confirmed and Rumoured Upgrades

Under-display Face ID will shrink the Dynamic Island significantly. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to carry a battery above 5,000mAh — possibly 5,200mAh — which combined with the A20’s efficiency gains should produce noticeably longer battery life than the current Pro Max.

Apple’s modem switch may also land this cycle. The C2 modem with mmWave 5G support would replace Qualcomm modems in the Pro models, giving Apple full control over its silicon stack for the first time.

When to Expect It

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected at an Apple event on September 9, 2026, with pre-orders opening September 11 and devices shipping September 18. The iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 won’t arrive until spring 2027.

A $1,299 starting price is a real number. Whether enough buyers agree the upgrades justify it will tell Apple a great deal about the ceiling of the premium smartphone market.