Apple's next premium smartphone, the iPhone 18 Pro, may be priced lower than some earlier market expectations.

On Aug. 24, IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that the base-model price increase could be limited to about $100, or about 140,000 won.

One scenario being discussed is that the iPhone 18 Pro would rise to $1,199 from $1,099, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max would rise to $1,299 from $1,199. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman (마크 거먼) said, "A $100 increase means the iPhone 18 Pro goes from $1,099 to $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max goes from $1,199 to $1,299."

That differs from earlier expectations of a larger price increase. The market had forecast the iPhone 18 Pro base model could start at $1,299 or $1,399, citing higher component costs for memory, storage and a new camera system. Those forecasts, however, were based only on the base model.

Price variables remain. Even if Apple applies only a $100 increase to the 256GB base model, it is also being discussed that it could apply a larger increase to higher-capacity models of 512GB and 1TB or more. Based on previous reports, higher-capacity models could rise by as much as $150 or $200.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro soon. Apple is set to unveil the flagship iPhone 18 Pro, and an announcement for a September event could come next week. Many details about the device itself are already known, including camera upgrades and design changes, but the price remains the biggest uncertainty.

Market attention is focused on pricing amid a recent trend of increases in the premium smartphone market. The iPhone 18 Pro could receive a modest $100 increase in line with similar pricing adjustments by Samsung and Google. Apple has not decided what pricing structure it will choose until an official announcement.

Ultimately, there are two key questions: whether the base-model price increase will end at about $100, and how wide the price gap by storage capacity will be. If rising component costs continue and Apple limits the burden on the base model while reflecting more of the increase in higher-capacity models, the effective purchase price of the iPhone 18 Pro could vary significantly depending on the storage option consumers choose.