Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max went on sale on Friday with a higher entry price and a bigger carrier incentive to soften the bill. The phone costs $100 more than last year’s model, and the trade-in credit now reaches $1,200 for buyers willing to swap in an older device.
John Ternus and the first launch
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are the first iPhones released under CEO John Ternus. That makes this launch a direct test of whether Apple can move a pricier premium phone without leaning entirely on discounts.
The new phones arrived amid an ongoing global memory and storage shortage. Apple is not pricing around that shortage alone in the consumer’s eye, because the market now has to absorb a higher sticker price at the same time as supply pressure is still working through the chain.
Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T
US wireless carriers Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T have increased incentives for iPhone purchases. The maximum trade-in credit for the iPhone 18 Pro Max has risen to $1,200, up from $1,100 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and $1,000 for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That shift narrows the gap between the higher phone price and the out-of-pocket cost for buyers with eligible older devices. Buyers of Apple’s newest premium phones now face a simple trade: pay more up front, or bring in an older phone to capture the stronger carrier offer.
Wall Street thinks sales of Apple’s pricier new iPhone 18 lineup are off to a brisk start, which suggests the higher price has not stopped early demand. The unanswered question is how many iPhone 18 Pro Max units Apple expects to sell at this new price level.
