[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] The iPhone 18 Pro could see its starting price rise to around $1,399, a forecast says.

On July 31 (local time), IT outlet NineToFiveMac reported that an analysis has been raised that Apple’s next premium model could cost $250 to $300 more than the previous model.

The forecast was included in a research note by analyst Jeff Pu (제프 푸). Pu expects the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max prices to rise by $250 to $300 each. That would put the iPhone 18 Pro starting price at $1,349 to $1,399 and the Pro Max at $1,449 to $1,499.

Rising costs for key components were cited as the reason for a price increase. Pu sees the A20 Pro chip, LPDDR5X memory and NAND storage prices adding to the burden. He particularly expects memory and NAND storage costs, by Apple’s standards, to have risen to about three times last year’s level.

The market had previously already suggested that the iPhone 18 Pro starting price could be $1,399. At the time, sharp increases in the costs of RAM, storage and a new camera system were cited as the basis. This time, Pu presented a similar scale of price increases, adding weight to the same outlook.

The possibility that Apple could reduce margins to limit the size of any price increase was also mentioned. But the current trend does not view that possibility as high. Apple could keep prices in place by sacrificing some profitability when a price increase is expected, but with the company having already raised prices on other products recently, the view is that such a choice would not be easy.

Pu expects the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to rise by $250 to $300 each. He also sees memory and NAND storage costs possibly rising to about three times last year’s level. The market is also presenting a view that the iPhone 18 Pro starting price is highly likely to come close to $1,399.

This trend also ties into Apple’s hardware pricing strategy. If Apple seeks to maintain its existing margin structure while component unit prices rise unusually sharply, the likelihood of consumer price increases grows. If it tries to defend prices, profitability adjustments would be needed, but considering recent pricing trends across its product lineup, the possibility that Apple will actively shoulder that burden is limited.

The key point to watch is the level at which Apple ultimately sets the price. For now, $1,399 is being mentioned as a leading candidate for the iPhone 18 Pro starting price. With the Pro Max also raising the possibility of pricing close to $1,500, the pricing strategy for the next iPhone Pro lineup is emerging as a main focus for the market.