Last week, Apple launched the iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo. The latter is a low-cost laptop that uses the A18 Pro chip. The prices of these products seem to be giving hints about Apple’s plans for its upcoming iPhones. The pricing of the iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo suggests that Apple may keep the prices of iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max unchanged when they debut later this year, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Apple may keep the prices of the iPhone 18 Pro models the same as their predecessors
In the latest post on X, Kuo says that Apple’s strategy is to take advantage of the current turbulence in the memory chip market by locking in supplies, absorbing higher component costs, and expanding its market share while rivals are pushed to raise prices or cut down specs. Kuo first made the claim in January. The analyst, back then, said Apple’s plan for iPhone 18 Pro models was to “avoid raising prices as much as possible” despite having to shell out more for components. The new iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo, which cost $599, seem to be supporting this strategy.
Another analyst, Jeff Pu of GF Securities, in a separate report last month, corroborated Kuo’s pricing claims. He said that the firm’s research of Apple’s supply chain points to the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max keeping the same starting prices: $1,099 and $1,199, respectively.
Absorb higher component costs
The surging prices of DRAM and NAND in recent months need no introduction. This is driven by the soaring demand from companies building AI data centers. This is likely to force smartphone and laptop makers to increase the prices of their products. On its part, Kuo says that Apple negotiates memory prices with suppliers quarterly instead of every six months. This approach gives more flexibility, but also leaves the company more exposed to such price swings.
A possible sign of that price swing came last week when Apple removed the 512GB memory upgrade option for the Mac Studio. The machine now maxes out at 256GB. Even that top-tier option got a price hike. On the high-end M3 Ultra model, jumping from the base 96GB to 256GB memory now costs $2,000. This is a steep jump from the previous $1,600 price tag.
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