Updated
Updated · WIRED · Sep 16
Apple Launches iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 as Base iPhone 18 Slips to 2027
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Sep 16

Apple Launches iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 as Base iPhone 18 Slips to 2027

3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Sep 16

Summary

  • Apple’s 2026 iPhone lineup starts with only the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, priced at $1,199 and $1,299, leaving buyers without a new base model this year.
  • The gap reflects a delayed standard iPhone 18, which the report says is expected in spring 2027 alongside a mid-tier iPhone 18e.
  • That makes the new Pro phones a $100 step-up from last year’s Pro models, even as the upgrade is described as solid rather than transformative.
  • A foldable iPhone is also due next month, broadening Apple’s premium push while making the absence of a lower-priced flagship more conspicuous.

Insights

What secret compromises is Apple hiding behind the massive price tag of its first foldable iPhone?
Will the hidden AI requirements of the delayed standard iPhone 18 render older models completely obsolete?
Is Apple's base model delay truly a supply issue, or a sneaky tactic to force pricey Pro upgrades?