The price will rise, the camera will improve, and there is probably a date: all the rumors about the iPhone 18 Pro
Ahead of the September launch event, the market estimates that Apple will raise prices for iPhones and watches as well. At the same time, the Pro model is expected to receive a new camera, a smaller Dynamic Island, and a new modem, but what intrigues Apple fans is the question of when the event will happen, and there seems to be an answer.
Apple is preparing for its annual iPhone launch event in the first half of September, and the market expects it to come with another wave of price hikes. According to reports, after Mac computers, iPad models, Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro became more expensive earlier this summer, the main products left out of the first wave were iPhones, watches, and headphones. Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has already warned that price hikes are on the way, and the company hinted then that further increases might come. Now the assessment is that iPhone prices will rise after the September event: the Pro model is expected, according to rumors, to start in the range of $1,299–$1,399, compared to $1,099 for last year's model. We will remind you that the Pro model is probably the most popular, but the price increase in the US does not guarantee a jump in Israel as well, thanks to the strengthening of the shekel and the weakening of the dollar. Among competitors like Samsung, we actually saw a price decrease in Israel for the new foldables, while globally they only went up.
Older iPhone models may also be affected. Apple usually lowers the price of previous models when a new generation arrives, but this year the assessment is that they will remain at the same price or become slightly more expensive. Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are also mentioned as candidates for a price hike, partly due to the memory crisis attributed to the surge in demand around AI, which is expected to affect watch components as well.
AirPods headphones may also become more expensive, but according to estimates, this is less likely compared to watches and phones, because headphones are expected to be less affected by the rise in memory and storage prices. If Apple plans to raise prices across its entire product line, the September event is where it is expected to become clear.
Beyond prices, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to include three upgrades that have been rumored for years. The first is a camera with a variable aperture, which allows controlling the amount of light that enters the camera sensor. More than two years ago, The Information reported on such a system for the iPhone, claiming then that the target was the iPhone 17, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo later said it was intended for the 18 model. According to the latest reports, the change will indeed come to the main camera of the iPhone 18 Pro.
The second upgrade is a smaller Dynamic Island. After the first notch arrived with the iPhone X, and the current design of the Dynamic Island was introduced in 2022 with the iPhone 14 Pro, rumors now speak of a screen cutout about 35% smaller than the previous design. According to reports, the new look of Siri in iOS 27 also hints at this.
The third upgrade is a C2 modem designed by Apple. After the first modem designed by Apple, C1, was launched in the iPhone last year, rumors say that Apple plans to replace Qualcomm modems in the iPhone 18 Pro with its next-generation chip. C2 is expected to bring a speed improvement compared to C1X and C1, and also improved efficiency and privacy advantages attributed to modems that Apple designs itself.
But when is the launch?
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple has already opened a lottery for its retail employees in the US who will be able to come to California and assist at the upcoming iPhone launch event. The selected employees are supposed to help with organizing lines, registering guests, receiving participants, directing, and assisting security teams.
In a memo to employees, Apple wrote that the event will take place in the first half of September and that it is excited to offer members of the retail teams in the US the opportunity to participate in the Event Support Experience program. Employees who participated in WWDC this year or in the iPhone event last year will not be able to participate in the upcoming program. Those interested must apply by August 8, and Apple will notify the selected ones by August 17.
Apple usually holds the annual iPhone event in the second week of September. This year, Labor Day in the US falls on September 7, so according to Bloomberg, an event on Wednesday, September 9, seems slightly more likely, as it will allow participants to arrive comfortably without getting close to the weekend. If this indeed happens, the event will take place on Wednesday, September 9; pre-orders are expected to open on Friday, September 11, in the US, and the launch in US stores will be about a week later. Usually, by the end of September, the new devices also reach Israel.
