Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event is days away, and there are plenty of rumors swirling about new devices we can expect, like a new Apple Watch and the first foldable iPhone, which could be called the iPhone Ultra.
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 not happening. In fact, you should expect new models to cost significantly more.
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. TrendForce didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment.
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.
