Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Apple Repositions Fall iPhone Line With A20 Pro Chips and $100 Pro Price Hike

Component shortages pushed Apple to emphasize higher‑margin Pro and foldable models, producing higher prices with tighter supply for lower‑end phones.

Overview

  • Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its Wednesday 'Surprise and Shine' event, introducing the new A20 Pro system‑on‑a‑chip and Apple’s in‑house C2 modem.
  • The Pro models start $100 higher than last year—$1,199 for the 18 Pro and $1,299 for the 18 Pro Max—with preorders opening Sept. 12 and shipments beginning Sept. 18.
  • Both handsets debut a 48‑megapixel Fusion main camera with a first‑time physical variable aperture and expanded Pro Controls that let users adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance.
  • Apple raised the Pro storage baseline to 256GB, added a 2TB tier, discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max on its store, and redesigned thermal and battery systems that it says deliver much longer video playback times.
  • Apple delayed the base iPhone 18 into 2027 and focused inventory on Pro and the new foldable iPhone Duo, a strategy driven by global memory shortages that could raise costs for consumers and steer carriers toward larger trade‑in and financing deals.