Apple Keeps iPhone 18 Pro at $1,099 as AI Could Add $15 a Month
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jun 7
Apple Keeps iPhone 18 Pro at $1,099 as AI Could Add $15 a Month
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 7
Summary
$1,099 is the expected launch price for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the report says Apple is likely to raise ownership costs in 2026 through AI-related service charges rather than upfront hardware pricing.
Rising memory and storage costs, plus growing cloud-computing expenses for Apple Intelligence, are expected to squeeze margins first and then be recouped over a device's life.
Google is set to deepen that cost burden: Bloomberg reported Apple struck a deal to use Gemini models and Google Cloud to power parts of Siri instead of relying solely on in-house AI.
$15 a month is the likely price point for premium AI access, potentially folded into Apple One, which could bring Apple an extra $100 to $150 per customer in the first year.
That approach would mirror Google and Samsung, which have used free trial periods and later paid AI tiers to build adoption while shifting smartphone economics toward recurring software revenue.