According to an analyst report, Apple is deliberately keeping the starting prices of its iPhone 18 Pro models low, even though the global RAM shortage is already forcing other manufacturers to raise prices. This move would give Apple an unusual competitive advantage in the premium segment – especially in a year when memory chip costs are impacting all smartphone brands.
Analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities expects Apple to not pass on the ongoing memory shortage to its customers through higher prices, but instead to leverage its economies of scale. This assessment aligns with the emerging picture surrounding the 2026 DRAM shortage: Apple is more of a beneficiary than a victim of the crisis. The Pro launch this fall thus takes on a clear strategic dimension – according to Pu, Apple aims to outperform in the premium smartphone market while its competitors face price pressures.
What the analyst report specifically says
Pu speaks in his current research note for GF Securities of an “aggressive pricing strategy” for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Back in February, he had already predicted that the starting prices would remain unchanged or at most increase slightly – compared to the iPhone 17 Pro series. The new Note confirms this.
Specifically, in the US, this means the iPhone 17 Pro will start at $1,099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max at $1,199 – both with 256GB of storage. Both models come with 12GB of RAM, and reports indicate the iPhone 18 Pro will have the same amount of storage. If Pu is correct, the Pro models would therefore be sold this fall at either identical or only marginally higher starting prices.
Why Apple can act differently here than Samsung and others
The RAM shortage is not insignificant. Apple itself admitted in its latest quarterly report that it expects "significantly higher memory costs" in the current March-June quarter. So, Apple is also experiencing real margin pressure. The difference compared to its Android competitors lies in its negotiating position: Apple's size as a single purchaser and its long-term contracts with suppliers give the company more leeway regarding delivery terms than most Android manufacturers have.
Pu also expects Apple to cut costs on other components of the Pro models – specifically the display and cameras. This would allow the increased RAM costs to be absorbed internally without raising the final price. A similar logic was already evident with the MacBook Neo and its 8 GB of RAM: In a tight memory market, Apple consistently adjusts several factors simultaneously to maintain its price points.
Market dynamics: Competition under pressure, Apple with an advantage
While Apple aims to keep prices stable, some Android manufacturers are already taking the opposite approach and raising their prices because they can no longer absorb the increased costs of memory chips. In precisely this market environment, Apple's consistent pricing strategy could become a key differentiator. Buyers in the premium segment, who are already weighing the pros and cons of an iPhone Pro versus an Android flagship, will gain an additional argument in favor of Apple.
Against this backdrop, Pu expects Apple to "outperform" in the smartphone market – meaning above-average market growth. While margins will suffer in the short term, in the long term Apple is expected to gain market share from the premium segment, where competitors are becoming more expensive.
What else is being discussed about the iPhone 18 Pro?
Besides the pricing strategy, there are a number of other rumors surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro. The most comprehensive collection of these can be found in the Rumor overview about the iPhone 18 Pro. Among the points mentioned so far are a smaller Dynamic Island, the faster A20 Pro chip, a variable aperture for at least one of the rear cameras, a simplified camera control button, 5G via satellite and a special color option called “Dark Cherry”.
The launch is scheduled for September 2026. The standard models iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, on the other hand, are not expected until around March 2027 – a split of the iPhone launch window that Apple is implementing for the first time.
The larger development
If Pu's assessment is correct, Apple is using the global memory crisis as leverage. Where competitors are forced to pass on higher prices to end customers, Apple can exploit its economies of scale and supplier relationships, save money internally in other areas, and thus maintain price stability that is becoming the exception in the current market environment. This is less about price competition and more about planned resilience – and precisely the kind of strategy that Apple prepares during stable periods and activates during crises.
For buyers, this would mean the same or only slightly higher entry price this fall for a significantly improved Pro model. For the competition, however, direct price comparisons will become more difficult than in previous years.
Prices as a hidden pro argument in autumn
It will be interesting to see how Apple communicates the price point at the September keynote. Maintaining the same entry price despite more expensive components is a story that can be easily told during the presentation – especially in a market where the competition is becoming more expensive. Ultimately, only Apple itself can provide final confirmation. However, Apple's track record with predictions has been solid enough recently to take this seriously. (Image: Shutterstock / KHUNNINE)
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