That iPhone prices are rising is no longer really up for debate, given Apple CEO Tim Cook has already acknowledged it. The bigger question now is by how much, and fresh leaks suggest the increase could be steeper than expected.
Chinese tipster Smart Pikachu claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max could launch at 11,000 yuan, translating to roughly $1,625, or upwards of Rs 1.35 lakh before Indian import duties and taxes are even factored in. Once local pricing markups are applied, as they typically are for iPhones sold in India, the Pro Max could plausibly cross the Rs 1.5 lakh mark for higher storage variants. For context, that would be a jump of roughly $400 over the iPhone 17 Pro Max's US starting price. Leaks of this nature should still be treated with caution rather than as confirmed pricing.
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Apple's rumoured foldable iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone Ultra, could cost even more, with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimating a price tag as high as $2,500, a figure that would likely translate to well over Rs 2 lakh in India.
Two factors are driving the anticipated hike. Apple's next chip, the A20 Pro, is expected to shift to TSMC's costlier 2nm manufacturing process, which industry estimates suggest could push chip production costs up by more than 20%. At the same time, memory prices have surged sharply this year, with combined DRAM and NAND costs rising well over 100%, increasing memory's share of a phone's total component cost significantly.
Reports suggest the 18 Pro, Pro Max and Ultra will launch together in September, while a cheaper 18e model and a new iPhone Air are expected to be delayed until spring 2027.
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