Anticipated Pricing for iPhone 18 Pro Suggests Record-Breaking Figures in South Korea
A customer at the Apple Store in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, evaluates the iPhone 17 Pro alongside the iPhone 17 Air. [Lim Se-jun]
The forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro is projected to debut with a starting price exceeding 2 million won (approximately $1,440) in South Korea, as Apple gears up for its much-anticipated announcement next month.
This price surge is largely attributed to a phenomenon referred to as “chipflation,” which encapsulates the intertwined impacts of rising memory chip prices and overarching inflationary trends.
Should this forecast materialize, it would herald the inaugural occasion that an Apple Pro variant exceeds the 2 million won mark at its entry-level storage tier.
This increase would signify an elevation of over 400,000 won compared to the approximate global starting price of 1.55 million won for the iPhone 17 Pro.
Industry insiders and international media reported on Friday that the 256GB model of the iPhone 18 Pro is anticipated to be priced above 2 million won upon its introduction during Apple’s customary fall event scheduled for next month.
At this annual gathering, Apple is expected to unveil a suite of new products, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Ultra, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
The pricing structure of the iPhone 18 Pro is under significant scrutiny from analysts. It is estimated that the device will commence at $1,399 in global markets, with the South Korean pricing likely to surpass 2 million won due to regional exchange rates, applicable taxes, and Apple’s distinct pricing strategy for different markets.
The expectation of price increases is particularly notable, given that the iPhone 18 Pro’s base storage capacity remains consistent with its predecessor.
As highlighted by TrendForce, the iPhone 18 Pro is set to offer 256GB of storage, identical to that of the iPhone 17 Pro.
Insights from industry sources indicate that the mounting pricing pressure can be traced to an ongoing global memory chip shortage. This disruption has been exacerbated by the rapid expansion of AI technologies.
TrendForce forecasts a startling 40 percent escalation in component costs for the iPhone 18 Pro relative to the iPhone 17 Pro, driven by surging RAM costs alongside heightened expenses for storage and the upcoming A20 Pro mobile processor.
Recent findings from TrendForce reveal a marked increase in the proportion of memory chips within the overall component costs for iPhone Pro models over the past year.
Memory components accounted for roughly 10 percent of total costs in the third quarter of 2025; this figure has soared to approximately 34 percent in the current quarter and is expected to surpass 40 percent by the first half of 2027.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has also indicated that price hikes are an inevitable consequence, characterizing the recent surge in memory prices as “a once-in-a-hundred-year flood.”
In the meantime, the exact date for Apple’s fall event is anticipated to be unveiled next week. Following the company’s decision earlier this year to revamp its product unveiling schedule, the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are slated for introduction in the spring of next year.
Source link: Mbiz.heraldcorp.com.
