Apple wants Android users to switch: iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max prices coming with a big catch?

In a world where the price of eggs and high-end memory chips are both racing to the moon, Apple might be planning a rare moment of mercy for our bank accounts.

While Android manufacturers are busy hiking prices faster than a software update, a new report from analyst Jeff Pu suggests Apple is opting for "aggressive pricing" for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Pro Max. And in that context, “aggressive” means good. Supposedly.

Despite soaring AI-driven component costs that have rival brands sweating, Apple reportedly aims to keep the entry-level Pro models at $1,099 and $1,199.

Apple planning to steal Android’s market share with the prices of iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max; but there is a "price catch"

Although it might seem generous, the truth is that the base iPhone 17 Pro model saw a price bump compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro, which went for the same $999 as the iPhone X (from 2017). Apple was able to maintain the $999 starting price for the premium iPhone for eight straight years. 

However, "keeping the same starting price" for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max doesn’t tell the whole story. Reportedly, to protect those precious margins, Apple might end up putting a premium on the higher storage tiers. Want 512G/1TB of space for your 4K cat videos? That’s where the "aggression" might turn toward your credit card limit.

Either way, with the foldable iPhone Ultra expected to sit at the top of the mountain with a price tag to match, keeping the Pro models "stable" is a sneaky way to lure over Android users who are tired of paying more for less. If Jeff Pu is right, of course.

iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to debut this fall, together with the foldable iPhone Ultra, which might make Apple’s premium slabs look more boring than ever. Meanwhile, the vanilla iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and iPhone 18e should launch in the spring of 2027.