Apple buyers in the UAE may need to prepare for a much more expensive iPhone upgrade this year.
GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu predicts that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost between $250 and $300 more than their predecessors. The increase would take the expected US starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro from $1,099 to between $1,349 and $1,399, while the Pro Max could rise from $1,199 to between $1,449 and $1,499.
Pu attributes the potential increase to higher costs for Apple’s next-generation 2-nanometre silicon, along with rising DRAM memory and NAND storage prices. AI companies’ demand for chips and data-centre components has placed additional pressure on global supply chains.
The forecast is different from Pu’s position earlier this year. In February, the analyst said Apple was attempting to keep iPhone 18 Pro pricing broadly unchanged through tighter cost management.
Apple currently sells the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro for Dh4,699, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at Dh5,099. The same devices cost $1,099 and $1,199 respectively in the US.
If we were to apply the prediction to UAE prices, this is what it could look like:
- iPhone 18 Pro: approximately Dh5,799 to Dh5,999
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: approximately Dh6,199 to Dh6,399
These are estimates rather than direct currency conversions, as Apple’s UAE prices include VAT and follow the company’s regional pricing tiers.
Apple has not announced the iPhone 18 Pro models or confirmed any price increase. The new Pro phones are expected to be unveiled in September alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone, while the standard iPhone 18 is reportedly planned for a later release.
