Apple has recently hiked prices across its product lineup, and now a new report suggests that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could be priced significantly higher than its predecessor. The smartphone is expected to launch in India and global markets later this year and will be joined by the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra. Moreover, the handset is rumoured to feature a new look, upgraded cameras and faster performance. When compared to the current-generation iPhones, the device could house a significantly larger battery. While these changes are expected to improve the user experience, they may also drive up the price of the device, as the iPhone 18 Pro Max 1TB variant is said to cost Rs 30,000 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB variant.
Counterpoint Research recently shared an estimated bill of materials (BOM) for the manufacturing of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max. The 1TB variant of the device is expected to cost Apple nearly $900, which is about $350 more than the manufacturing cost of the 1TB iPhone 17 Pro Max, which was $550.
This marks a major increase in production costs of the device. The rise in cost is mainly because of an expected increase in the price of NAND storage and DRAM. Apart from this, it has been further pointed out that the upcoming Apple A20 Pro chip would also contribute to the total cost of production. The new chip would be Apple’s first 2-nanometre smartphone chip. The manufacturing process would also be more advanced than the one employed by the A19 Pro chip.
The report further suggests that Apple plans to use the latest camera modules for the upcoming model, and this will further add on to the manufacturing cost. As the new camera modules are said to be more costly than the current ones.
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While the chipset, camera and storage prices are said to increase, the manufacturers may see a slight relief with display panels and a few other components getting cheaper. While it’s anticipated that the price reductions on the parts may not be enough to balance the overall manufacturing cost of the device.
The cost of making the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to increase by more than Rs 30,000. However, the research firm said that Apple may not pass on the entire cost to its customers, as Apple may not increase the selling price by the full amount. Instead, the company could raise prices differently for different storage versions. For example, models with more storage will be priced higher than models with low storage. This will help Apple to make profit margins from high-capacity models.\
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The iPhone 18 Pro Max will reportedly feature a 6.3-inch OLED panel. Under the hood, the smartphone is also tipped to run on Apple’s upcoming A20 Pro chipset, which will be built on a 2 nm process.
In terms of power, it may come packed with a 5,567mAh battery which may get supported by 40W wired fast charging and 25W wireless charging. For the photography enthusiasts, the handset is said to sport a triple camera setup at the rear end that may be led by a 48MP main camera.
Reports suggest that Apple may launch the iPhone 18 Pro Max in September 2026 along with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra. The device is anticipated to land with a starting price of around Rs 1.28 lakh.