Updated

Updated · CNET · Sep 29

Apple Starts iPhone 18 Pro Sales at $1,199 as RAM Shortage Lifts Older Models by $100

Updated

Updated · CNET · Sep 29

Apple Starts iPhone 18 Pro Sales at $1,199 as RAM Shortage Lifts Older Models by $100

Q: Why does the iPhone 17 now look like the smartest buy in Apple’s pricier, more segmented lineup?

The iPhone 17 looks like the smartest buy because it sits at the sweet spot of Apple’s new lineup: it avoids the biggest compromises of the cheaper models without charging the steep premium of the Air, Pro or foldable Duo. At $899, the iPhone 17 is now only $200 more than the 17E, but adds the features many buyers will notice every day: a larger 6.3-inch OLED screen, Dynamic Island, 120Hz ProMotion, Always-On display, higher brightness and tougher Ceramic Shield 2. It also gets a more versatile dual-camera system with ultrawide support, while the 17E keeps a more basic notch design and single rear camera. The iPhone 17 also benefits from Apple’s pricing shift. Because Apple raised the 17E, 17 and Air by $100 despite little or no hardware change, the Air in particular looks harder to justify at $1,099. Its ultra-thin design is distinctive, but it gives up practical features, including camera flexibility, battery life and even a second rear speaker. That makes the 17 the more balanced mainstream choice. Moving up to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max brings better zoom, faster charging, stronger sustained performance and longer battery life, but at $1,199 and $1,299 those gains are clearly premium-priced. The $1,999 Duo is even more niche. In a lineup increasingly segmented by design and luxury pricing, the iPhone 17 stands out as the model that delivers the broadest set of useful features for the least painful price.

Q: Is Apple using the memory shortage to quietly redefine what counts as an entry-level iPhone?

Yes. The price moves and lineup changes strongly suggest Apple is using the memory shortage not just to cover costs, but to shift the baseline of what an “entry-level” iPhone is. The clearest evidence is that Apple raised the iPhone 17E, 17 and Air by $100 without changing their hardware. The 17E now starts at $699, up from what had been Apple’s traditional lower entry point, while the iPhone 17 is $899 and the Air is $1,099. At the same time, Apple did not introduce fresh lower-cost replacements alongside the new Pro models. That leaves buyers with a lineup tilted upward in price and more sharply segmented by features. There is a real cost story behind this. Apple and outside analysts have said memory prices have surged because AI data centers are absorbing supply, while major chipmakers are shifting capacity toward higher-margin high-bandwidth memory. Industry data cited in the reporting show DRAM and NAND costs up sharply, with shortages expected to last into 2027. Apple has also already made similar moves in other categories, including dropping cheaper configurations on Macs. But this is more than a temporary pass-through. Apple appears to be using the shortage to normalize a higher floor and widen the gap between budget, mainstream and premium iPhones. The 17E still exists, but at $699 it is no longer “cheap” by historical iPhone standards. So the shortage may be real, yet it is also giving Apple cover to reset consumer expectations upward.

3 articles · Updated · CNET · Sep 29

$1,199 iPhone 18 Pro and $1,299 Pro Max are now on sale, marking Apple’s latest flagship launch without new lower-cost companions in the same cycle.
A RAM shortage appears to be driving broader pricing pressure: Apple raised the unchanged iPhone 17E, iPhone 17 and iPhone Air by $100 each, to $699, $899 and $1,099.
Apple is instead pairing the new Pro models with last year’s base lineup, while keeping the iPhone 16 at $829 for 128GB — a weaker value than newer 256GB options.
The lineup will expand again on Oct. 23 with the $1,999 iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable, featuring a 5.4-inch outer screen and 7.6-inch internal display.
That leaves buyers split between paying up for Apple’s newest premium hardware now or waiting for early-2027 updates to the base iPhone range.