Apple has made its new iPhone lineup more powerful, but also more expensive. The company launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9 with major camera, performance, battery, and AI improvements, while also increasing prices across several existing iPhone models.

The iPhone 18 Pro now starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 in the US. Both models cost $100 more than their iPhone 17 Pro counterparts.

The bigger surprise is that Apple also increased the prices of older iPhones that remain in its lineup. This comes as memory prices continue to rise due to strong demand from AI data centers.

iPhone 18 Pro Gets a $100 Price Increase

Apple’s new Pro models bring several important upgrades, so the higher starting price is not simply tied to inflation.

The iPhone 18 Pro features Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, a 48MP main camera with variable aperture, improved battery performance, and a new C2 cellular modem. Apple has also added more advanced camera controls and new AI features through iOS 27.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, also representing a $100 increase compared with the previous generation.

Both phones will be available with up to 2TB of storage, giving buyers more capacity but also pushing the price of the highest-end configurations much higher.

Older iPhones Are Also More Expensive

Apple’s price increase does not stop with the new Pro models.

Several existing iPhones are now $100 more expensive in the US, even though Apple has not introduced new hardware for these models.

The updated starting prices are:

• iPhone 16: $799, up from $699
• iPhone 17e: $699, up from $599
• iPhone 17: $899, up from $799
• iPhone Air: $1,099, up from $999
• iPhone 18 Pro: $1,199
• iPhone 18 Pro Max: $1,299

That makes the increase particularly noticeable for buyers who were planning to choose an older iPhone to save money.

Rising Memory Costs Are Putting Pressure on Apple

The timing of Apple’s price changes is important.

The technology industry is dealing with a major memory supply problem as AI data centers consume huge amounts of advanced memory and other components. That has pushed up costs for companies making PCs, phones and other electronics.

Apple has already faced higher component costs across its product range. The company has previously acknowledged that memory prices have risen sharply, making it harder to absorb those costs without increasing retail prices.

The same pressure is now becoming visible in the iPhone lineup.

Apple’s Pricing Strategy Is Changing

For years, Apple’s huge scale and purchasing power helped it absorb increases in component costs. That appears to be getting harder.

The latest iPhone pricing shows that even Apple is not completely protected from rising memory and component costs.

For consumers, the impact is simple: buying an iPhone is becoming more expensive, whether they choose the latest Pro model or an older phone.

At the same time, Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro models offer meaningful upgrades in cameras, performance, battery life and AI features. The bigger concern is the price of the older models, where buyers are now paying more without receiving a new hardware generation.

What This Means for iPhone Buyers

The new pricing makes the choice between iPhone models more important than before.

Customers who want Apple’s newest technology will have to pay more for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Those looking for a cheaper option can still choose older models, but the $100 price increase makes those phones less attractive as budget alternatives.

Apple’s latest move also shows how rising memory costs are moving beyond PC components and starting to affect mainstream consumer devices.

For now, the iPhone 18 Pro offers genuine upgrades that help explain its higher price. But Apple’s decision to raise prices on older models shows that the industry’s memory shortage is becoming a problem for consumers as well as manufacturers.