Apple is expected to soon unveil the 2026 iPhone lineup, rumored to be the iPhone 18 series. Unlike other years, rumors suggest that the company will only unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models and an all-new foldable iPhone in September. Then, in early 2027, it would unveil the rest of the iPhone 18 series, alongside a second-generation iPhone Air and the iPhone 18e. This means that by September, the iPhone lineup could include the iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, the new iPhone 18 Pro models, and the iPhone Fold. However, not only is Apple expected to raise prices for new iPhone models, but the current iPhone 17 could also become more expensive. That means today’s price could soon look like a bargain.
The latest voice to corroborate these price increases is Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said in his latest Power On newsletter that after Mac and iPad price hikes of about 23% on average, a price increase for new iPhone models remains inevitable. While some sources suggest that producing the iPhone 18 Pro models could cost Apple nearly 40% more, Bloomberg claims that Apple has been watching how its competitors respond to higher component costs. Samsung and Google recently raised the price of their high-end phones by $100. If Apple follows the trend, the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,199, compared to $1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro. It’s also possible that Apple will upgrade base iPhone Pro models to 512GB of storage to charge more.
Here’s why iPhone 17 prices are still good
Apple recently raised the prices of Macs and iPads worldwide, but did not change the prices of the iPhone and Apple Watch. Getting an iPhone 17 now seems like the best deal, not only because it still costs the same, but also because Apple recently increased trade-in values, making older phones more valuable. Another tactic the company is using to make sure customers don’t feel this upcoming price increase is the new Upgrade Program, a rental deal directly from Apple. For the current generation of iPhone, pricing can start as low as $17.99/month for iPhone 17e under a 24-month contract.
Compared to the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 features several significant improvements, including longer battery life, a new camera system, an 18 MP selfie camera with an innovative square sensor, an always-on display, and ProMotion. Even though the base iPhone 17 model doesn’t include the camera tray, it’s closer than ever to the Pro models, which may be why it remains the best-selling smartphone in the world.
The iPhone 18 may not be as good
If you’re about to buy an iPhone, but thought waiting for the next generation would get you a better deal, you might want to think again. Even though the price of the iPhone 17 is expected to increase, that would mean you might be paying more for this phone than you are today. If that’s not enough, after Apple reveals the new generation of iPhone, trade-in values for what will become older models will generally be changed. That is, the iPhone 17 line will now be the most valuable trade-in model, while older iPhones lose value.
Another thing you need to keep in mind is that if Apple changes the release schedule of its iPhones as rumors suggest, it could move the iPhone 18 closer to the iPhone 18e to avoid even bigger price increases. Apple is rumored to use cheaper display technology in the upcoming iPhone 18 and include an A20 processor with fewer cores than usual.
Although Apple’s plans won’t be fully revealed until the full iPhone 18 lineup is released in early 2027, it’s possible that some users won’t want to wait to see another price increase and then decide to upgrade to an iPhone released in 2025.
