Apple will soon launch iPhone 18 Pro, here’s how much it is expected to cost
Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this year. As rumors surface about the company’s next flagship models, new details have emerged that suggest the Cupertino giant may be forced to raise prices this time.
Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 18 Pro series later this year. Details about the next generation of flagship iPhones have been in the news for the past few weeks. Now, a report has indicated that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max may come with a price hike compared to their predecessors.
According to Taiwanese outlet, Money.udn, Apple may face higher production costs for the iPhone 18 Pro models due to TSMC’s new 2nm process node for the yet-to-be-announced A20 Pro chipset. TSMC is the world’s largest semiconductor maker and supplies its chipsets to Apple.
The A20 Pro chipset will likely power the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the rumored foldable iPhone. All three devices are expected to launch in September this year. The next-generation iPhone Air is also expected to come with the same processor, but it will likely be released in early 2027. The base iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are said to use the A20 chipset.
Apple may face a big jump in the cost of the A20 chipset
According to the report, the A20 and A20 Pro chipsets will be built on TSMC’s 2nm process, which will offer performance and efficiency gains compared to the 3nm-built A19 and A19 Pro. However, this upgrade may not come cheap. The report said that the price of a 12-inch silicon wafer used in 2nm fabrication has gone up to around $30,000 (about Rs 27 lakh). This represents a significant jump from the cost of $20,000 (roughly Rs. 18 lakh) for 3nm wafers.
As a result, the estimated cost of Apple’s A20 or A20 Pro chipset is now estimated to be around $280 (roughly Rs. 25,200) per unit for the iPhone 18 series. This represents an 87 percent increase compared to the $150 (roughly Rs. 13,500) paid for the current A19 Pro, and six times more than the $50 (roughly Rs. 4,500) A18 Pro processor.
Due to this, Apple may be in a dilemma regarding the prices of iPhone 18 series. The Cupertino giant may decide to either take risks and reduce profits or raise prices. The memory shortage will likely also impact the production cost of the iPhone 18 Pro models.
iPhone 18 Pro, here’s what we know
Apart from the new A20 Pro chipset, the iPhone 18 Pro models are likely to get a major design change, with Apple potentially getting rid of the punch-hole selfie camera and Dynamic Island for under-display Face ID. The Cupertino giant is also said to be working on a unified single-tone color scheme instead of the dual-tone design of the iPhone 17 Pro. The device may also get a variable aperture lens for the main camera, giving users better control over depth of field.
iPhone 18 Pro launch and expected price
The iPhone 18 Pro models will likely launch alongside the iPhone Fold in September 2026. Apple has not yet decided on a price amid ongoing production cost concerns. For reference, iPhone 17 Pro price starts at Rs 1,34,900, iPhone 17 Pro Max is priced at Rs 1,49,900.