Why iPhone 18 Price Report Is Good News For Apple Buyers
Why iPhone 18 Price Report Is Good News For Apple Buyers
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaymcgregor/2026/05/09/apple-iphone-18-price-strategy-vs-pixel-10/
Publish Date: 2026-05-09 16:29:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
If you’re worried Apple is about to raise iPhone 18 prices, that’s likely unavoidable in some form. But the good news is that any increase may be more measured than the hikes Samsung has rolled out across several Galaxy flagships this year. Google’s decision to keep Pixel 10 pricing relatively aggressive offers a useful clue about how Apple might try to handle iPhone 18 pricing.
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Apple To Be ‘Aggressive’ On iPhone 18 Pricing
Apple will reportedly try to keep iPhone 18 prices as stable as possible when the range launches this year, according to a research note seen by 9to5Mac. Analyst Jeff Pu says Apple could take an “aggressive pricing strategy” with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max base storage models.
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max’s successor, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might not see a price increase. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
That could mean the starting prices stay at the same levels as the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Instead, Apple may absorb some rising memory costs pressure by pushing price increases into higher storage tiers, which is similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch strategy. The Korean company kept the Galaxy S26 Ultra price steady, then made up the difference with price rises for the base model and Galaxy S26 Plus.
But Samsung wasn’t done there. Weeks later, the price of the eight-month-old Galaxy Z Fold 7 climbed by $80, as did the Galaxy Z Flip 7 by $80. Hikes have also landed on the Galaxy S25 Edge by $80 and Galaxy S25 FE by $40.
Even the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 1TB jumped by a huge $280. Combine that with more pedestrian discounts and it’s clear Samsung is squeezing where it can.
That makes sense for a company like Samsung, where hardware is still the core business. Apple and Google, however, have more room to maneuver.
Google’s Pricing Might Be A Clue About Apple’s iPhone 18 Future
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