Apple should unveil part of the iPhone 18 range next September. While some customers are waiting for new iPhones to upgrade to previous models, this year appears to be very different. After all, rumors so far indicate that only the Pro and foldable lines will be introduced at the traditional September event, while the iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and iPhone 18e aren’t expected until early 2027. While this could theoretically mean that Apple could lower iPhone 17 prices slightly after the introduction of the new iPhone 18 Pro models, it seems like the company could raise prices instead. There are also reports of a worse iPhone 18 product, as Apple tries to make it cheaper to produce amid the memory crisis and share components with the “e” line, rather than having the level of excellence we’re all used to.
One of the reasons to skip the iPhone 18 and upgrade to the iPhone 17 now is that waiting longer might cause you to pay more for an iPhone 17, Apple’s trade-in values might drop, and the quality of the product might not be the same. Although it’s expected to get a new processor, a little more RAM, a once again improved selfie camera, and Apple’s new C2 5G modem, the iPhone 17 could still be a more attractive upgrade before the new lineup is announced.
All iPhones will be more expensive
A recent report from TrendForce shows that the iPhone 18 Pro could cost 38% more than its predecessor. While this isn’t bad news, the research firm suggests that Apple could even revisit the price of the standard iPhone 17 model once it announces the new Pro models. With this, a phone that currently costs customers $799 could become even more expensive in order to allow the company to maintain revenue despite rising memory costs. While the release of the iPhone 18 may make the iPhone 17 slightly cheaper, it’s unclear whether it will come down to a lower value than Apple currently offers.
In June, the company raised prices on its iPads and Macs, but even on products that, in theory, would need an upgrade and shouldn’t impact Apple’s supply chain, like the Apple TV and HomePods. Although the company has excluded iPhones and Apple Watches from the price increase – at least in the United States – there is no guarantee that the company won’t charge more for these gadgets once the updates are announced at Apple’s iPhone event in September.
With that, this could be a great time to get an iPhone 17 at its usual price, just before an increase makes it less desirable, as customers would pay more for something that has long been cheaper – and without any other benefits to justify this new value, besides Apple passing on some of its ongoing rising costs to users.
Trade-in values will decrease
And if the higher prices of new phones aren’t disappointing enough, Apple tends to reduce trade-in values on older models when a new iPhone is introduced. Although it is never certain, it is the recent trend. So imagine if Apple doesn’t even release the standard iPhone 18 yet, but prices for the iPhone 17 continue to rise, while your current iPhone is worth even less. If you’re currently considering an upgrade, now might be the best time to reach out to a carrier — or even take advantage of Apple’s own trade-in values — to secure an iPhone 17.
Right now, Apple is offering up to $720 for an iPhone 16 Pro Max as a trade-in model, and as low as $40 for the iPhone 8. While keeping an iPhone 16 Pro Max is a better deal than trading it in, there might be better options, like the iPhone 15, which can get you up to $335, and appears to be a fair trade-in offer. However, since the company will downgrade some of the current models once newer ones become available, using this tool may not be best if you have a very old model.
The iPhone 18 won’t have the same built-in quality
To offset costs and introduce the upcoming iPhone 18 at the same price as Apple could start offering the iPhone 17 in a few weeks, Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital (via Woozad) said that Apple will downgrade the standard iPhone 18 in several ways compared to the current iPhone 17 experience.
One of them would be to introduce a lower screen quality, as this would make the iPhone 18 more similar to the iPhone 18e model instead of the Pro phones. That said, while Apple is still expected to continue offering Always-On Display and ProMotion technology, the screen likely won’t be as bright as on the current iPhone 17, which offers up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. With this, it is unclear whether Apple could add a smaller Dynamic Island, as is planned with the Pro models.
The leaker also indicates that Apple could downgrade the GPU of the upcoming A20 chip. Currently, Apple offers the A19 Pro GPU with six cores, five for the iPhone 17 A19 and four for the A19 chip in the iPhone 17e; With this new model, Fixed Focus Digital believes Apple could reduce the iPhone 18’s GPU cores to four, offering as many cores as the upcoming iPhone 18e. In practice, the new iPhone would still have advantages over the iPhone 17, but the older model might handle graphics slightly better.
The iPhone 17 remains a solid option
Last but not least, the reason you should ignore the iPhone 18 is that it shouldn’t be a huge upgrade over the iPhone 17 – it’s that the current model is still a great device. Although the iPhone 17 looks similar to the iPhone 16, the newer model has double the amount of storage, offering at least 256 GB to users, and it also has the same screen as the Pro version with Always-On Display and ProMotion technologies. With this, the iPhone 17 offers a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and you can leave the screen with the background always on, like an Apple Watch.
The A19 processor is one of the fastest on the market, and this iPhone can handle almost all Apple Intelligence features, including those that come with iOS 27. Since the iPhone 18 will not change in terms of design and its internals may offer some compromises, customers will then be better off with a phone that has been reviewed and approved by many customers, media and of course BGR.
On top of that, Apple also recently upgraded the iPhone 17 models with an improved selfie camera, better main lenses, and even a bigger battery. Without this possible price increase, the recommendation would wait until the launch of the iPhone 18 to get its predecessor, but it is now possible that its current price will be the cheapest possible for a while.
