William Gallagher wrote about iPhone 18 Pro price leaks on Thu Sep 03 2026 at 11:21 AM EDT, and TrendForce’s numbers make the foldable iPhone Ultra look priced far above Apple’s current top tier. The firm says the 256GB model could start between $2,099 and $2,299, which puts the entry point well above the iPhone 17 Pro Max and leaves buyers staring at Apple’s most expensive phone yet.
TrendForce and iPhone Ultra pricing
TrendForce also expects 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions of the iPhone Ultra, and it says some configurations could go over $3,000. That is not a small step up from the current top end, because AppleInsider says a maxed-out iPhone 17 Pro Max is a dollar short of $2,000, so the foldable would move the ceiling up by roughly another thousand dollars before storage gets even more ambitious.
The same pricing logic runs through the rest of TrendForce’s forecast. It says all iPhone models would rise by between 10% and 20%, and it says the cost of a 256GB module is now 400% higher than a year ago, which points to component pressure rather than a simple premium badge markup.
Apple, iPhone X and the market
Apple’s pricing ladder has already crossed one symbolic line before. The iPhone X became the first iPhone to cost more than $1,000 in 2017, and the iPhone Ultra projection would push the company into a much steeper bracket for buyers who want a foldable screen and the largest storage options.
TrendForce’s own market view adds a hard limit to the hype. It says foldables would amount to no more than around 2% of the global smartphone market in 2026, so a high price does not automatically mean a mass-market category; it means Apple would be selling a niche product at luxury pricing while the broader foldable segment stays small.
What Apple still has not priced
The report leaves the sharpest buying question unanswered: what Apple will actually charge for the 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions when the iPhone Ultra reaches launch. The 256GB starting range gives shoppers a floor, but the rest of the lineup is still only a projection, and anyone waiting for a specific configuration price will have to wait for Apple to set it.
