Apple may be one of the few premium smartphone makers able to avoid passing memory cost pressure directly to buyers. While DRAM prices continue to rise and Android rivals face tougher pricing decisions, the iPhone 18 Pro line is expected to keep its starting price unchanged at the lowest configuration.
That price stability could become a meaningful advantage in a market where flagship phones are getting more expensive. For buyers who have held back because of cost, an unchanged entry point may make the next iPhone feel more accessible than competing Android devices.
Competitive pricing at the entry level
Jeff Pu of GF Securities expects Apple to keep the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max competitively priced, at least for the base configurations. Ming-Chi Kuo has also voiced a similar view, saying this year’s new iPhone models are expected to be sold at the same prices as the previous generation.
If that happens, the iPhone 18 Pro would start at $1,099. The iPhone 18 Pro Max would remain at $1,199, matching the current iPhone 17 Pro pricing level.
Android makers are feeling the pressure first
The pricing environment looks harder for Samsung, OPPO, and Xiaomi. All three are said to be under significant pressure from higher global memory costs, which is forcing them to raise retail prices more broadly.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is reportedly facing a price increase of nearly 10% compared with its predecessor. Xiaomi has even acknowledged that some new models are being sold at a loss in order to protect market share.
Why Apple has more room to hold firm
Apple is not dealing with the same cost exposure as many Android vendors. The company designs its own chips and uses a unified memory architecture, which allows it to optimize performance without relying on the larger RAM capacities common in many Android devices.
Its gross margins are also said to be much higher than those of its competitors. That gives Apple more flexibility to keep pricing competitive without sacrificing profitability as component costs rise.
Higher-capacity models may still move up
The stable pricing strategy is not expected to cover every version in the lineup. Higher-storage variants of the iPhone 18 Pro may still see price increases, which would help Apple protect margins on the configurations that attract more demanding buyers.
That approach would let Apple keep the base model appealing while preserving its premium positioning at the top end. In a market where flagship prices are already trending upward, holding the entry price steady could make the iPhone 18 Pro series look more aggressive than rival Android phones.