Apple has released a new generation of iPhone. Along with the new features comes unpleasant news: the price of buying an iPhone has increased significantly. The new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are 150 euros more expensive than their predecessors, but what’s really shocking is that this price increase is not limited to the newly released models. Apple also took the opportunity to raise the prices of many of its iPhones. In my opinion, this is where Apple’s price increase is unconvincing.
The 256GB iPhone 18 Pro starts at 1.469 euros, while the iPhone 17 Pro with the same configuration starts at 1.319 euros; the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at 1.619 euros, both models have increased by 150 euros. High-end configurations are not immune to price increases, for example, the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max costs up to 3.119 euros. What’s more surprising, however, is the price increase for older models. The 128GB iPhone 16 is priced at 1.009 euros, an increase of 150 euros; the 256GB iPhone 17e is priced at 859 euros; and the 256GB iPhone 17 is priced at 250 euros, reaching 1.109 euros. Even for the iPhone Air, the price will increase by between 100 and 350 euros depending on the capacity. Behind the move is a crisis in the memory market, where demand for memory has surged due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Although Apple bears some of the cost increases, it ultimately passes the costs on to consumers.
I can understand that it costs more to build a device, and that one can’t be completely insulated from a situation that affects the entire industry. What’s even harder to accept is that devices that have been on the market for months (or even longer) are now seeing significant price increases. Often, the introduction of a new generation makes the previous generation an attractive alternative. But this year, it’s almost the opposite. This changes the buying proposition significantly: users with newer iPhones have less reason to upgrade, while those who want to join the Apple ecosystem must overcome a higher price barrier. Apple’s products have always been expensive, and this is nothing new. The problem is, we’re now facing a situation where even “older” iPhones are starting to come with price tags.
