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iPhone 18 Pro Will Reportedly Start With 256GB of Storage

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While the iPhone 17 Pro has double the base storage compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, there will apparently be no further increase this year.

iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature
In a report this week estimating that the iPhone 18 Pro's bill of materials will be nearly 40% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce said the iPhone 18 Pro will start with 256GB of storage, matching the iPhone 17 Pro's minimum capacity. The report did not explicitly mention the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but the Pro and Pro Max models have started with the same amount of storage for the past two generations.

Minimum storage capacities by model:

  • iPhone 16 Pro: 128GB
  • iPhone 17 Pro: 256GB
  • iPhone 18 Pro (rumored): 256GB

Even though it does not expect an increase in base storage, TrendForce said that retail price increases for the iPhone 18 Pro models are "unavoidable" due to increased costs for components. RAM costs have increased significantly due to the ongoing memory chip shortage, and prices for storage and A20 Pro chips are also expected to be higher.

According to reports, iPhone 18 Pro starting prices in the U.S. could be $200 to $300 higher compared to iPhone 17 Pro starting prices. If so, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could start at up to $1,399 and $1,499, respectively.

In June, Apple raised prices on all Macs and iPads, as well as the Apple TV, HomePod, HomePod mini, and Vision Pro. The increases ranged from $30 for the HomePod mini to up to $1,300 for a high-end Mac Studio configuration.

Apple said it raised prices because of the ongoing memory chip shortage, resulting from companies building out data centers with powerful AI servers. The supply-demand imbalance has led to skyrocketing prices for RAM and SSD storage chips used in a wide range of Apple products, and Apple has now passed those costs on to customers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook previously commented that price increases were "unavoidable" due to "a hundred-year flood" on memory pricing.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro models in September.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro
Tag: TrendForce
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

MacUserFella Avatar
MacUserFella
5 weeks ago
As unfortunate as it is, did you really think they’d increase the storage in this economy?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
amaze1499 Avatar
amaze1499
5 weeks ago
Storage used by the OS is already ridiculously high:

Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Liquid Galaxy Avatar
Liquid Galaxy
5 weeks ago
I know it's just a mock up, but that purple is goooood.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
macbookj0e
5 weeks ago
Price increases are not "unavoidable" it's just companies are "unwilling" to meet consumers half way and eat into their margins. We are paying for the situation most of them created.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
macbookj0e
5 weeks ago

They hold their margins because they are in business to make money - not meet customers half way. Would you take a pay cut if your boss came to you and said we need to meet customers half way due to rising costs?

Nobody has to buy Apple products. If the price is wrong buy something else.
Yes I realise that and is why I said they’re unwilling to eat into their margins, 100% of the price increase is passed to us. They are also the cause of the price increases not us consumers, so why do we pay for it, not them?

Likewise your example of my boss asking me to take a pay cut doesn’t compare seeing as I am not responsible for the price rises.

Why do people blindly defend these companies no matter what the situation?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CalMin Avatar
CalMin
5 weeks ago

Price increases are not "unavoidable" it's just companies are "unwilling" to meet consumers half way and eat into their margins. We are paying for the situation most of them created.
They hold their margins because they are in business to make money - not meet customers half way. Would you take a pay cut if your boss came to you and said we need to meet customers half way due to rising costs?

Nobody has to buy Apple products. If the price is wrong buy something else.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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