On a September day, Apple stepped onto a stage that carried the weight of a new chapter, its first launch under CEO John Ternus, and showed a future that cost more to enter. The new iPhone 18 Pro models arrived with a $100 higher starting price, and the first foldable iPhone, the Duo, took its place at the very top of the company's history of prices. Behind these numbers lies a quieter truth: memory chips have grown dear across the industry, and even the most storied maker is passing that burden to the people who carry its phones. Buyers now face a lineup where older devices have also grown mo
Apple's Fall 2026 iPhone Lineup: Higher Prices Across the Board as iPhone Duo Debuts at $1,999
The cheapest iPhone 18 Pro costs $300 more than the base iPhone 17.
Mark
Apple raised prices on almost everything. Is that the main story here?
Mimi
It's the main story. The Pro models start $100 higher, and the older phones got more expensive too instead of cheaper, which breaks Apple's usual pattern.
Luke
Worth saying what the pattern was. Apple used to retire last year's Pro models and cut the base phone by $100. This year it dropped the 17 Pro models and didn't cut anything.
Mark
And the reason given is memory chips?
Mimi
Yes, memory costs have risen sharply and most smartphones have gotten pricier.
Luke
That's the reporting's explanation for the industry, and it fits. But the piece doesn't say Apple stated that as its reason for these particular increases. That link is inferred.
Mark
The iPhone Duo at $1,999 is the other headline.
Mimi
It's the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold, and the 2 TB version reaches $3,199.
Luke
Keep in mind the March 2027 iPhone 18e, 18 and Air 2 are reported, not announced. The rumor that the Air 2 replaces the iPhone 18 is just a rumor.
Mark
So what does a buyer take from this?
Mimi
The $899 iPhone 17 is $300 below the cheapest 18 Pro, so it looks attractive.
El Pulso
- Apple's new CEO John Ternus debuted the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Duo, and the price tags rippled through the whole lineup.
- The entry Pro now starts at $1,199, while the foldable Duo climbs to $1,999, the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.
- Breaking with past habit, Apple left the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air on sale at higher prices instead of marking them down after the Pro models retired.
- Rising memory chip costs are squeezing the whole smartphone market, and buyers are being asked to absorb the difference.
- Preorders open soon, while the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 are reportedly due in March 2027, so timing now matters as much as choice.
On a September day, Apple stepped onto a stage that carried the weight of a new chapter, its first launch under CEO John Ternus, and showed a future that cost more to enter. The new iPhone 18 Pro models arrived with a $100 higher starting price, and the first foldable iPhone, the Duo, took its place at the very top of the company's history of prices. Behind these numbers lies a quieter truth: memory chips have grown dear across the industry, and even the most storied maker is passing that burden to the people who carry its phones. Buyers now face a lineup where older devices have also grown more expensive, and where the next wave of models waits patiently in the months ahead.
On Wednesday, September 9, Apple held an event it called "Surprise and Shine," its first product launch since John Ternus took over as CEO. The stars were the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the company's first foldable, the iPhone Duo. But the price list drew the most attention.
The new Pro models start $100 higher, at $1,199 and $1,299. The reason, according to the source, lies in the wider market: memory chip costs have climbed sharply, and most smartphones have grown pricier as a result. Apple did not escape that pressure.
The Duo sits at the summit, starting at $1,999 for 256 GB and rising to $3,199 for 2 TB. It is the most expensive iPhone the company has ever sold.
The bigger shift concerns older phones. Apple has long retired the previous Pro models and trimmed the price of the prior base model. This year, the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air stayed on sale and both cost more than before. The iPhone 17 now starts at $899 and has become the cheapest standard iPhone, since no base iPhone 18 exists yet.
BGR's view is that buyers may be surprised, and that the $300 gap between the base iPhone 17 and the cheapest iPhone 18 Pro could make the older model more appealing. Those waiting for successors may need patience, as the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 are reportedly due in March 2027. Preorders open soon, and the full picture of this generation will not be clear until next year.
On Wednesday, September 9, Apple took the stage for an event it called "Surprise and Shine," its first product launch since John Ternus became CEO. The headline products were the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, along with the company's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. What stood out most, though, was the price list that came with them.
Entry-level prices for the new Pro models rose by $100. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256 GB, and the Pro Max starts at $1,299. The source ties the increase to broader market conditions: memory chip costs have climbed sharply, and most smartphones have grown more expensive as a result. Apple, in this telling, did not make an exception.
The foldable sits above everything else. The iPhone Duo begins at $1,999 for 256 GB, which makes it the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold. Stepping up in storage raises the cost to $2,199 for 512 GB, $2,599 for 1 TB and $3,199 for 2 TB. The 2 TB Pro tops out at $2,399, and the 2 TB Pro Max at $2,499.
The larger change is in how Apple handled the older phones. In past years, the company retired the previous Pro and Pro Max models and cut the price of the previous base iPhone by $100. In September 2025, for instance, the iPhone 16 Pro left the shelves while the iPhone 16 stayed on sale from $699 ($729 without the carrier discount on Apple.com), alongside the iPhone 16 Plus at $799 ($829).
That pattern is gone. Apple discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro models but did not discount the iPhone 17 or the iPhone Air, and both now cost more than they did last year. The iPhone 17 starts at $899 for 256 GB, up $100, and is now the cheapest standard iPhone in the lineup because the iPhone 18 series has no base model yet. The iPhone Air starts at $1,099. Apple also dropped the iPhone 16 Plus, and the iPhone 16 itself rose $100 to $799 ($829).
As of September 9, the lineup runs from the 256 GB iPhone 17e at $699 up to the 2 TB iPhone Duo at $3,199. In between sit the iPhone 16 with 128 GB, the iPhone 17 at $899 for 256 GB and $1,099 for 512 GB, and the iPhone Air at $1,099, $1,299 and $1,699 for 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. The 17e is $699 at 256 GB and $899 at 512 GB.
Specifications are fairly uniform. Nearly every model starts at 256 GB, apart from the 128 GB iPhone 16, and runs an A19 or A20 chip, with the iPhone 16 on an A18. Most phones carry 12 GB of RAM, while the iPhone 16, 17e and 17 have 8 GB. All support Apple Intelligence and the new Siri, and all either run iOS 27 out of the box or can upgrade to it.
BGR's reading is that the increases may surprise buyers. The cheapest iPhone 18 Pro costs $300 more than the base iPhone 17, which could make the older model look more appealing. Anyone waiting on an iPhone 17 successor may be waiting a while: the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 are reportedly coming in March 2027, and there are rumors that the Air 2 could replace the iPhone 18. Preorders open soon, and the full lineup for this generation will not be visible until next year.
Citas Notables
Apple's price increases for all iPhone models may surprise some buyers.— BGR
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