Thinking about upgrading this year? You might want to budget more than usual. Apple buyers across the UAE could be staring at a genuinely steep price jump on the next iPhone. According to GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max might cost between $250 and $300 more than their current counterparts.
That’s not a minor bump. That’s a real shift in what flagship pricing looks like.
Why The Sudden Increase?
A few things are colliding here, and none of them are Apple simply deciding to charge more for the sake of it.
Pu points to rising costs across Apple’s next-generation 2-nanometre silicon, alongside climbing prices for DRAM memory and NAND storage. Add to that the surging demand from AI companies for chips and data-centre components, and you’ve got a supply chain under real pressure.
Everyone’s fighting for the same components right now. Apple isn’t immune to that. Here’s the interesting part, though. This isn’t what Pu was predicting earlier in the year.
Back in February, his position was actually the opposite, that Apple was working hard to keep iPhone 18 Pro pricing largely unchanged through tighter cost management internally. Something’s shifted since then. The pressure on components has clearly outpaced whatever cost controls Apple had planned.
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What Would This Mean In US Dollars?
The iPhone 18 Pro’s starting price could climb from $1,099 to somewhere between $1,349 and $1,399. The Pro Max, currently starting at $1,199, could land between $1,449 and $1,499 instead.
That’s not pocket change. We’re talking a jump that pushes the entry-level Pro model closer to what the Pro Max costs today.
So What Does That Mean For UAE Pricing?
Right now, Apple sells the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro for Dh4,699 in the UAE, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max starting at Dh5,099. Those same models run $1,099 and $1,199 in the US.
Apply Pu’s projected increase to that existing UAE pricing structure, and here’s roughly where things could land.
The iPhone 18 Pro could start somewhere around Dh5,799 to Dh5,999. The Pro Max, meanwhile, might sit between Dh6,199 and Dh6,399.
Worth being clear about something here, these aren’t direct currency conversions. Apple’s UAE pricing already factors in VAT and follows the company’s own regional pricing tiers, which don’t always move in perfect lockstep with US dollar changes. So treat these as estimates, not confirmed figures.
Nothing’s Official. Yet.
Apple hasn’t announced the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. No pricing has been confirmed, and no price increase has been officially acknowledged either. Everything here is analyst projection, based on supply chain signals rather than any statement from Apple itself.
The new Pro models are expected to be unveiled in September, reportedly alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which, if true, would be a fairly significant moment for the lineup on its own. The standard iPhone 18, meanwhile, is said to be planned for a later release rather than launching alongside the Pro models.
So for now? If you’re planning an upgrade this year, keep an eye on September. That’s when the real numbers, not projections, should finally surface.
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FAQs
How much more could the iPhone 18 Pro cost compared to the iPhone 17 Pro?
Analyst Jeff Pu predicts an increase of $250 to $300 in the US, pushing the starting price from $1,099 to between $1,349 and $1,399.
Why is the iPhone 18 Pro expected to be more expensive?
The predicted increase is linked to rising costs for Apple’s 2-nanometre silicon, higher DRAM memory and NAND storage prices, and increased global demand for chips driven by AI companies.
What could the iPhone 18 Pro cost in the UAE?
Based on current pricing patterns, the iPhone 18 Pro could cost approximately Dh5,799 to Dh5,999, while the Pro Max could range from Dh6,199 to Dh6,399. These are estimates, not confirmed prices.
When will Apple officially announce the iPhone 18 Pro?
The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be unveiled in September, alongside Apple’s rumoured first foldable iPhone.
Has Apple confirmed any price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro?
No. Apple has not announced the iPhone 18 Pro or confirmed any pricing changes. All current figures are based on analyst predictions.
