A thousand bucks for an iPhone that's not even Pro, let alone Pro Max—and one that doesn't have crazy amounts of RAM and storage inside. That's the likely feature we're running towards, but, honestly, are you surprised?
Yeah, I didn't think so. But the prospect of a $1,000 vanilla iPhone is still dark and depressing, even if you're in the Southern Hemisphere and it'll be summer soon.
Technically, it's $999
It's all about those marketing tricks. | Image by PhoneArena
When I say "a thousand dollars" I really mean a price tag of $999. That's how it goes and that's what's going to happen if Digital Chat Station's—one of the most prolific tipsters out there—new leak holds true.
DCS doesn't say if we're in for a $100 price increase, turning the $899 iPhone 17 into a $999 iPhone 18, but is that impossible? Well, the iPhone 17 originally arrived at $799, but its price got raised shockingly to $899 in September 2026.
Poll
5 Votes
What's the absolute maximum you're willing to pay for the iPhone 18?
Can we get an $899 iPhone 18?
I sure hope so. I think even $900 is already too much to ask for a non-Pro handset without a proper, dedicated telephoto camera, but the $899 price tag would be easier to swallow than the eventual $999 one.
Maybe DCS was talking about how the iPhone 18 would be pricier compared to the iPhone 17's original $799 price.
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If you want my advice—and if you're sure that the iPhone 18 is what you want and need, better start saving right now. Prepare mentally for the eventual $999 price tag. If the gods are merciful and the stars align and the iPhone 18 launches at $899, you'll have a spare $100 to, I don't know, buy yourself a dozen eggs and two sodas. Not bad.
When (and what) to expect
The iPhone 18 is expected to launch in the first months of 2027 alongside the iPhone Air 2 and the budget-oriented iPhone 18e.
The standard iPhone 18 could come with a 6.3-inch OLED display (1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate), a standard Dynamic Island design and the 2nm A20 chipset under the hood. A larger battery would be nice!
Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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