Earlier this week, Apple hiked prices across most of its devices, including Macs, iPads and even the Apple TV, but the iPhone has so far managed to avoid this unwelcome increase.
But it seems inevitable that the iPhone will eventually take a hit as well.
It’s clear that some of the increases already introduced will allow Apple to launch its new range of devices in September at higher price points.
Chief among those expected new devices will be the iPhone 18 range. There are also rumours that the Pro and Pro Max models will launch first, with the cheaper base-model iPhone 18 arriving at a later stage.
iPhone 18 Launch: No Entry-Level Model Initially, Timing Crucial for Best Value
That would mean there will be no entry-level iPhone 18 available initially, forcing anyone wanting the latest model to pay significantly more.
Timing your iPhone purchase is crucial if you want the best value. Buying the current-generation model just before it is replaced by a new version will generally get you the biggest saving. That means August would normally be the ideal time to buy an iPhone 17, which will be only slightly less powerful than the iPhone 18 models expected to launch in September.
With price hikes looming, however, it may be wiser to secure the best deal now before any increases are introduced. Waiting until August will almost certainly be too late if you want to avoid paying a higher price.
Take, for example, the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air, which cost R19,999 last week. It has now risen by R6,500 to R26,499 — a staggering increase of more than 32%.
The price hikes are largely due to an industry-wide increase in RAM (memory) and SSD (storage) prices, driven by the growing hardware demands of AI applications and their integration into operating systems. There have also been numerous other increases across Apple’s current product lineup that I have not even detailed.
It may therefore be a terrible time to buy a Mac, but if you’re planning to buy an iPhone, time is quickly running out to secure a good deal before prices inevitably rise.
