The iPhone 18 won’t launch until next year, but there are already a few rumors regarding this next-generation iPhone. This time, Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, citing Chinese supply chain sources, says that Apple is set to adopt TSMC’s 2nm manufacturing process for the A20 chip.
While Digital Chat Station isn’t the first to report that Apple is planning to use this new manufacturing process — analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have already mentioned it — they are the first to highlight that the A20 chip will significantly cost more to produce than Apple’s current-generation processors.
This means it’s unlikely that Apple will keep the iPhone 18’s price the same as the current generation. There are already rumors suggesting the iPhone 17 may be priced higher (with Apple possibly attributing the increase to Trump-era tariffs).
Even though Apple has been cautious about raising the iPhone X’s starting price of $999, it has already begun signaling that it might soon charge more for its devices. For example, the iPhone Pro Max now starts at $1,199, as Apple removed the 128GB option. Additionally, the base-model iPhone Pro lacks an important Pro camera feature — ProRes 4K60FPS recording — which Apple says requires external storage to record in that resolution.
If the company wants to continue advancing technology in the Pro iPhones, it’s only natural that they might eventually become more expensive, and the iPhone 18 could be the one to see that price hike.
If Apple raises the iPhone 18’s price due to the more expensive chip, under-screen Face ID, and other rumored features, it might also be preparing users for the upcoming iPhone Fold, which is expected to cost at least $2,100. Phew.
The bright side of costlier iPhones is that Apple will continue selling last year’s regular iPhones and may introduce a new iPhone Xe variant with some similar features at a lower price point.
The post iPhone 18 is getting a price hike, and this is how we know appeared first on BGR.
