Amid surging component prices, Apple has raised prices on products including the MacBook and iPad, while a forecast has emerged that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, set to launch this fall, could rise by up to $200 (about 300,000 won).
According to industry sources Monday, global market research firm IDC recently projected that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could be priced up to $200 higher than current models. Given that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is priced at $1,199, this means the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be set at around $1,399 (about 2.15 million won).
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also forecast, based on its own analysis of component price data from market research firm TechInsights, that the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro could reach a minimum of $1,299 to a maximum of $1,399.
Earlier, Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads by about 20% per model on the 25th of last month. The iPhone was excluded from this price increase, but with Apple CEO Tim Cook saying he had "never seen this kind of price surge," the outlook for a price hike on the next model gains weight.
MacBook and iPad Prices Have Already Risen
On the 17th of last month, CEO Tim Cook hinted at the possibility of a price increase in an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), saying that the surge in component prices such as memory was "a once-in-a-century flood" and "I've been in the industry for over 40 years, but I've never seen a situation like this."
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, memory and storage prices have surged about fourfold over the past three quarters. This reflects the relatively reduced supply of general memory as memory makers expand production of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI servers.
A week after CEO Tim Cook made these remarks, Apple implemented the price increases. According to pricing information posted on Apple's online store, the price of the MacBook Pro rose by $300 from $1,699 to $1,999, while the MacBook Air was adjusted upward by $200 from $1,099 to $1,299.
The MacBook Neo, which launched in March at a mid-to-low price of $599 targeting students, became $100 higher at $699 in just over three months. In the Korean market, the MacBook Neo rose by 200,000 won, from 990,000 won to 1.19 million won.
The price of the Mac mini, the ultra-compact PC that gained popularity early this year as an efficient device for using AI agent tools such as OpenClaw, was also further raised. Apple discontinued the existing Mac mini base model (256GB storage), which had sold for $599, early last month, and made the $799 512GB model its base model.
During the price increase process, Apple brought back the discontinued 256GB model with a raised price of $799, and set the 512GB model at $999. The domestic price of the Mac mini rose more steeply, seemingly factoring in exchange rates, with the price of the 256GB model rising by about 460,000 won from 890,000 won at the start of the year to 1.349 million won currently.
In the iPad lineup, the entry-level iPad rose by $100, the mid-range iPad Air by $150, and the top-tier iPad Pro by $200. In addition, the prices of the HomePod speaker and the Vision Pro headset also rose. However, the prices of the iPhone, the Apple Watch smartwatch, and the AirPods wireless earphones remained unchanged.
At the time, Apple said in a statement that "the rapid expansion of AI data centers has caused a surge in demand for memory and storage, resulting in unprecedented increases in component prices," and that "we have reached a point where we have no choice but to raise prices on some products." It went on to suggest the possibility of further price increases in the future.
