Apple is reportedly preparing a pricing approach for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that keeps the starting price unchanged while shifting more of the cost pressure to higher storage tiers. The move would let the company preserve a familiar entry point for its Pro lineup even as component costs continue to rise.
That strategy is being described by analyst Jeff Pu as an “aggressive pricing strategy.” A research note viewed by 9to5Mac says Apple wants the base price of both Pro models to stay at the same level as their predecessors, despite the growing strain from memory prices.
Storage becomes the pressure valve
Instead of raising the sticker price across the board, Apple is said to be adjusting margins on larger internal storage variants. That gives the company a way to absorb part of the higher production cost while still creating room for more revenue on models with greater capacity.
The approach would make the price change more selective. Buyers looking at the entry-level Pro model could see a familiar starting price, while customers choosing more storage would likely carry more of the cost increase.
This also gives Apple flexibility in a market where component inflation is still creating uncertainty. Rather than passing the full burden directly to every version, the company appears to be concentrating the adjustment where it has the most pricing room.
A different play from Samsung
Apple’s reported approach stands in contrast to Samsung, which has already raised prices on some of its flagship devices. While competitors are increasing tags more openly, Apple is said to still have space to hold its headline price steady.
That room comes partly from Apple’s business structure. The company is less dependent on hardware alone because it has a strong services division that helps support profitability.
Services give Apple more breathing room
Apple’s quarterly results for the second quarter of 2026 showed services revenue rising 16 percent year over year to $30.98 billion. That segment accounted for 27.9 percent of total quarterly revenue.
iPhone remained the biggest revenue driver in the same period, bringing in $56.99 billion. Even so, services carry much higher profit margins, which gives Apple more freedom to use hardware as a gateway into its broader ecosystem.
That is one reason Apple can afford to keep the base price of the iPhone 18 Pro stable while still protecting overall profitability. It can rely on recurring services revenue rather than depending only on handset margins.
Memory costs are still the bigger threat
The pricing picture is not getting easier for the industry. IDC expects memory pricing relief not to arrive until at least the end of 2027, and Gartner has warned that DRAM and SSD costs could rise as much as 130 percent by the end of 2026.
That backdrop makes Apple’s reported plan look more like a delay tactic than a permanent shield. The company may be able to protect the headline price for now, but higher storage options could become the main place where cost pressure shows up for buyers.
For consumers, that means the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro may stay intact even if the total cost of getting a higher-capacity version climbs. In a market still facing volatile component costs, storage appears to be the clearest lever Apple can use to keep its entry price stable.
