Rumors point to steep iPhone 18 Pro price hikes this September. Here’s why non-Pro buyers should shop now (and Pro buyers should think twice).
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Após o aumento dos preços de iPads e Macs — e até de Apple TVs e HomePods — em decorrência da crise dos componentes de memória, muito foi especulado sobre quando os iPhones poderiam ganhar o mesmo destino.
Alguns acreditam que a Maçã poderá reajustar o preço dos seus smartphones com o lançamento da vindoura linha dos “iPhones 18” — a começar pelos modelos Pro, que deverão ser lançados neste ano juntamente com o “iPhone Ultra”, seguidos, no começo do ano que vem, pelo modelo de entrada e pela segunda geração do iPhone Air.
No entanto, o leaker conhecido como Fixed Focus Digital repercutiu, em uma publicação no Weibo, a possibilidade de a empresa aumentar o preço do iPhone 17 já no dia 10 de agosto (próxima segunda-feira).
O leaker não é a fonte da informação propriamente dita; de fato, segundo ele, “há rumores de que o iPhone 17 aumentará os preços em 10 de agosto”, apontando ainda que “é difícil dizer se vai subir [o preço] ou não.”
Também não é possível confirmar se os rumores fazem referência apenas ao iPhone 17 em si ou à linha atual como um todo — o que é bem mais provável. Entretanto, considerando que o modelo base poderá permanecer à venda por mais tempo do que os iPhones 17 Pro, é possível que apenas ele tenha o preço reajustado — e quem sabe o iPhone Air.
De qualquer forma, caso essa possibilidade se concretize, tal reajuste poderá “amenizar” os aumentos previstos com os “iPhones 18 Pro” — que, na pior das hipóteses, poderão chegar a US$300.
NOTA DE TRANSPARÊNCIA: O MacMagazine recebe uma pequena comissão sobre vendas concluídas por meio de links deste post, mas você, como consumidor, não paga nada mais pelos produtos/serviços usando os nossos links de afiliado.
via 9to5Mac
iPhone 18 Pro com falta de RAM: escassez de DRAM pode atrasar entregas e tornar o modelo Pro difícil de encontrar.
O post Apple corre para garantir RAM — iPhone 18 Pro pode faltar no lançamento apareceu primeiro em Blog do Edivaldo - Informações e Notícias sobre Linux.
An iPhone 18 Pro DRAM shortage reportedly leaves $1 billion worth of Apple chips stuck at TSMC, threatening tight supply at launch.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Apple and its suppliers are scrambling to secure enough DRAM (mobile memory chips) ahead of the expected September 2026 launches of the iPhone 18 series and the foldable iPhone Ultra, according to semiconductor analyst Tim Culpan’s exclusive reporting for Culpium.
With under six weeks to the anticipated debut, assemblers are rushing shipments of DRAM. Apple primarily sources from Micron, with additional supply from SK Hynix and Samsung. Severe shortages due to RAMageddon have left processor wafers sitting idle, awaiting packaging—creating pressure to avoid launch shortages.
The issue stems from Apple’s A20 Pro chips (built on TSMC’s 2nm process), which use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging that integrates the processor and DRAM at the wafer level. This means DRAM must be available for packaging; unfinished dies cannot simply be stockpiled and completed later. Reports indicate TSMC is holding roughly $1 billion worth of unpackaged Apple processors delayed by the missing memory.
DRAM has been tight for months, driven in large part by memory makers prioritizing higher-margin chips for AI data centers over consumer devices. This has already affected other Apple products (such as certain Macs) with longer wait times. Apple and its partners (including assemblers like Foxconn) expect to meet initial launch demand, but retail stock could deplete quickly and online preorder wait times may stretch afterward. The foldable iPhone Ultra, with its more complex design and lower planned volumes (historically projected in the low millions for the second half of the year in related analyst notes), is viewed as particularly vulnerable to limited availability.
Culpan’s sources indicate Apple plans roughly 200 million combined units across the iPhone 18, 18 Pro, and Ultra over the product cycle, with the Ultra representing under 10%.
This memory constraint adds to broader industry dynamics of rising memory costs and competing demand from AI infrastructure, which have already influenced pricing discussions and production priorities for Apple hardware.
MacDailyNews Take: Buyers interested in the new Pro models or the Ultra at launch would be advised to pre-order very, very promptly!
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The post Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable ‘iPhone Ultra’ likely to sell out fast due to memory shortages appeared first on MacDailyNews.
The iPhone Ultra price could establish an entirely new tier within Apple’s smartphone range. Current estimates place the company’s first foldable iPhone above $2,000, with some industry forecasts suggesting an average selling price near $2,500 and higher-storage configurations approaching $3,000.
Apple has not confirmed the device, its name, or its retail price. The iPhone Ultra branding also remains unofficial, although it has appeared repeatedly in reports concerning Apple’s planned expansion beyond the Pro and Pro Max levels.
The foldable is expected to join the iPhone 18 Pro family during Apple’s fall hardware cycle. Rather than replacing the iPhone Pro Max, it would sit above it as a separate model built around a book-style design and a display that expands to approximately the size of a small tablet.
A price beyond $2,000 would make it the most expensive iPhone Apple has released. The current iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 in the United States, leaving a difference of at least $800 between Apple’s established flagship and the lowest estimates for the foldable.
Recent projections have pushed that gap even wider. Reports citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have discussed a possible range between $2,300 and $2,500, while an IDC estimate cited in supply-chain coverage placed the average selling price at approximately $2,500. Storage upgrades could take selected configurations closer to $3,000.
Apple has spent years arranging the iPhone range around a price ladder. Standard models serve the center of the market, while Air and Pro devices address different preferences involving weight, cameras, materials, performance, and display size.
A foldable iPhone would require another level. Its internal display, hinge, structural materials, battery arrangement, and manufacturing tolerances introduce costs that do not exist in a conventional iPhone.
The rumored hardware points to a device intended to combine phone and tablet functions. Reports describe an outer screen measuring about 5.5 inches and an internal display of approximately 7.8 inches. When closed, the product would operate as a compact iPhone. Opening it would provide enough space for larger applications, side-by-side content, expanded video, and an iPad-style software interface.
Apple is reportedly developing interface changes that would let applications take greater advantage of the internal display instead of simply enlarging an iPhone layout. That software work may become one of the main distinctions between the device and existing foldables, particularly if Apple can connect it closely with iPad multitasking conventions.
The hinge is expected to use liquid metal, an amorphous alloy chosen for strength and resistance to deformation. Apple has also reportedly focused on reducing the visible display crease, one of the most recognizable compromises found on current folding phones.
Those elements help explain a premium price without guaranteeing that customers will accept it. A $2,000-plus phone would compete for spending that could otherwise purchase an iPhone and an iPad, a high-end Mac, or several years of conventional smartphone upgrades.
The device would therefore need to offer more than the novelty of a folding screen. Durability, battery life, camera performance, application behavior, repair costs, and long-term display reliability will influence whether buyers view the iPhone Ultra as a versatile computer or an unusually expensive phone.
Rumors suggest Apple may use Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID. The change would not necessarily represent a retreat from facial authentication across the rest of the iPhone range. A foldable chassis has limited internal space, and eliminating the TrueDepth camera hardware could help Apple manage thickness around the outer and inner displays.
The reported design includes two rear cameras and front-facing cameras accessible in both folded and unfolded positions. That arrangement may leave the iPhone 18 Pro Max with the more extensive photography system, despite the foldable carrying a much higher price.
Such a decision would position the iPhone Ultra around form factor and productivity rather than making it the automatic leader in every specification. Apple has used similar distinctions elsewhere, allowing one product to command a premium for its design while another retains advantages in cameras, battery endurance, or sustained performance.
Display production is another source of expense. Folding OLED panels require flexible materials, protective layers, specialized hinges, and tighter assembly controls. Apple’s reported pursuit of a nearly crease-free screen may increase component costs and reduce early manufacturing yields.
The company is also entering the category after competitors have spent several generations addressing hinge failures, screen damage, dust protection, and application scaling. Arriving later gives Apple access to a more mature supply chain, but its design standards may create additional production challenges.
Industry estimates suggest Apple’s arrival could help raise the average selling price of book-style foldables throughout 2026. Competitors already sell premium folding phones, yet a model priced near $2,500 would push the category further away from mainstream flagship pricing.
Apple Upgrade could make the iPhone Ultra price appear less intimidating at checkout. The Klarna-backed program lets eligible US customers lease selected Apple devices through fixed monthly payments rather than covering the entire retail price upfront.
Current iPhones can be leased for 12 or 24 months. At the end of the term, customers may return the device, move into another eligible Apple product, or pay the remaining amount required to keep it.
That structure can produce lower monthly payments than traditional financing because the customer is not necessarily paying the entire purchase price during the lease. Part of the product’s value remains in the device at the end of the agreement.
A future iPhone Ultra could fit naturally into this model. Its high retail price and expected resale value would give Apple and Klarna room to separate the cost of using the phone for two years from the cost of owning it permanently.
No monthly figure has been announced for the foldable. Apple cannot price an Apple Upgrade lease until it establishes the phone’s retail cost, residual value, eligible term, and trade-in conditions. A simple calculation that divides $2,000 or $2,500 by 24 months would therefore be misleading.
The monthly charge may be considerably lower than a standard purchase installment, but the customer does not automatically own the iPhone after making the scheduled lease payments. Keeping it requires an additional payment based on the remaining value specified by the agreement.
AppleCare+ is also separate from the current Apple Upgrade lease price. That differs from the former iPhone Upgrade Program, which bundled AppleCare+ coverage into its monthly payments. Protection could be particularly relevant for an expensive first-generation foldable containing a flexible display and complex hinge.
Trade-in credit may reduce the monthly charge, while storage selection would push it higher. Sales tax, cellular service, accessories, and optional protection would remain additional costs. Apple Upgrade changes when and how customers pay, but it does not turn a $2,000-plus product into a lower-priced iPhone.
Apple is reportedly preparing millions of foldable units, but production may be heavily weighted toward the final months of 2026 and 2027. Supply-chain estimates have ranged from 7 million to 10 million devices, with different reports using different production periods and assumptions.
The foldable may be announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max but reach customers later. That would resemble the 2017 launch of the iPhone X, which was introduced with the iPhone 8 family in September and released in November.
A delayed retail date would give Apple more time to accumulate inventory while preserving the device’s place in its fall presentation. It could also place the iPhone Ultra into the holiday quarter with considerable demand concentrated around a relatively small supply.
High pricing does not necessarily prevent shortages during the first weeks of an Apple product launch. Early adopters, developers, collectors, and customers waiting specifically for an Apple foldable represent a smaller audience than the conventional iPhone market, but they may still outnumber the units available at release.
Apple Upgrade could add another source of demand by replacing the full retail figure with a monthly lease price inside the Apple Store. That presentation may make the phone accessible to customers who would reject a $2,500 purchase while accepting a recurring payment and returning the device later.
Kuo expects only 500,000 to 1 million foldable iPhones to ship during the third quarter, a supply level that could push some deliveries four to six weeks beyond the opening preorder window.
The post iPhone Ultra Price Could Take Apple’s Foldable Beyond $2,000 appeared first on AppleMagazine.
Apple is preparing for its biggest product event of the year by opening a lottery that gives U.S. retail employees a chance to help staff the in-person unveiling, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman.
“With Apple Inc. gearing up for its biggest product launch of the year, the company is opening a lottery for U.S. retail employees who want to help staff the in-person unveiling,” Gurman reported.
The lottery allows retail employees to apply to work the event, where they’ll help organize lines, check in guests, greet attendees, offer directions and support the security teams, according to a memo that was seen by Bloomberg News.
In the memo, Apple said it was “excited to offer U.S. store team members the opportunity to participate in the Event Support Experience Program.” Apple has relied on retail employees to help staff major product launches for years.
The launch event will take place during the first half of September, the company told staff, without providing a more specific date. Historically, Apple’s iPhone presentations have taken place on the second Tuesday or Wednesday of that month. Since Labor Day in the U.S. falls on Monday, Sept. 7th, a Wednesday event appears slightly more likely, as it would preserve the workday travel window Apple has historically provided for attendees.
Workers who participated in either this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference or last year’s iPhone launch aren’t eligible for the upcoming program. Interested employees must apply by Aug. 8th, and Apple will notify those selected by Aug. 17th, according to the memo.
MacDailyNews Take: This year’s September event carries added significance. It will be the first major product unveiling under Chief Executive Officer John Ternus, who is set to take over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1st. The company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone — rumored to be called “iPhone Ultra” – as well as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, new Apple Watch models (Series 12 and Ultra 4), and, perhaps, new AirPods and Apple Home products.
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