Apple's $1,999 Foldable Could Help Keep iPhone Prices In Check
Forbes • • general
Key Points:
- Apple is introducing a new $1,999 iPhone Ultra as a luxury flagship model to attract affluent consumers and absorb rising component costs, while keeping the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max prices steady at $1,049 and $1,299 respectively.
- The iPhone 18 Pro series will see minimal hardware changes beyond typical Apple Silicon improvements, focusing on manufacturing efficiencies to maintain margins and appeal to carriers and enterprise customers.
- Unlike Android competitors who are raising entry-level prices by cutting lower storage options, Apple preserves the baseline iPhone 18 Pro pricing and shifts premium cost increases to the new iPhone Ultra model.
- Apple plans to leverage its Apple One subscription services, including new AI features like Siri AI, to generate recurring revenue and offset hardware margin pressures, potentially charging around $15/month for advanced AI capabilities.
- Siri AI, debuting with iOS 27 on the iPhone 18 family, is competitive with leading chatbots from six months ago and marks Apple’s significant step into modern AI, enhancing the ecosystem and user experience.
