iPhone 18 Pro Price Increase & Storage Guide: What It Means for Ireland

• Aaliya Yousaf
• 13 Aug, 2026

Our first two iPhone 18 guides covered the launch timeline, expected features, and how the lineup stacks up against rivals. But over the past few days, the most concrete reporting yet has emerged on a topic that matters more than any spec sheet: how much more the iPhone 18 Pro is actually going to cost, and what you get for that money in terms of storage.

 

This piece pulls together the latest supply-chain analysis—most of it dated within the last week—from TrendForce, MacRumors, and AppleInsider. As always, we're separating confirmed Apple information (there is none yet) from credible analyst reporting and from less reliable leaker claims. We've also broken down what this could mean in euro terms for Irish buyers and how Fone4U will help soften the cost once the phones actually land.

 

Storage: 256GB Stays the Base, No Jump to 512GB

For a while, some optimists hoped Apple might double the entry-level storage again this year, the way it did when the iPhone 17 Pro moved from 128GB to 256GB as standard. The latest reporting says that's not happening.

According to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, cited by multiple outlets including MacRumors, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are both expected to keep 256GB as the base storage tier—matching last year's Pro models rather than improving on them. This isn't officially confirmed by Apple, but TrendForce's supply-chain analysis is generally considered a reliable indicator this close to launch.

Storage Tier	iPhone 17 Pro (current)	iPhone 18 Pro (rumoured)	iPhone 18 Pro Max (rumoured)
Base	256GB	256GB (unchanged)	256GB (unchanged)
Mid	512GB	512GB (expected)	512GB (expected)
High	1TB	1TB (expected)	1TB (expected)
Top	Not available on Pro	2TB (rumoured, unconfirmed)	2TB (rumoured, unconfirmed)

A 2TB option has come up in some reports but isn't confirmed. Don't count on it.

Why Is the Price Going Up If Storage Isn't?

This is the part that will actually affect your wallet. TrendForce estimates that the bill of materials to build the iPhone 18 Pro has jumped by roughly 38% compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. The main driver isn't the chip—it's memory.

A global memory chip shortage, driven largely by AI data center demand soaking up RAM and flash storage supply, has pushed component costs up sharply.

Cost Driver	iPhone 17 Pro (current)	iPhone 18 Pro (estimated)	Change
256GB flash storage cost	~$13/unit	~$51/unit	+~290%
Overall bill of materials	Baseline	~38% higher	Significant
Main cause	—	Memory chip shortage, AI data center demand, pricier A20 Pro chip	—

 

TrendForce describes the resulting price increase as effectively "unavoidable." Based on this cost pressure, several reports now estimate:

Model	Current US Price	Estimated iPhone 18 US Price	Estimated Increase
iPhone 17 Pro → iPhone 18 Pro	$1,099	~$1,399	+$200–$300
iPhone 17 Pro Max → iPhone 18 Pro Max	$1,199	~$1,499	+$200–$300

That would be the first meaningful iPhone Pro price rise in several years.

What This Could Mean for Pricing in Ireland

Apple has not announced Irish pricing and won't until the official event. But we can use the current relationship between US and Irish pricing to make an educated estimate.

Right now, here's how Apple Ireland prices the current iPhone 17 Pro lineup, which we'll use as our baseline:

Model	Storage	Current Ireland Price
iPhone 17 Pro	256GB	from ~€1,339
iPhone 17 Pro	512GB	from ~€1,569
iPhone 17 Pro	1TB	from ~€1,799
iPhone 17 Pro Max	256GB	from ~€1,489
iPhone 17 Pro Max	512GB	from ~€1,719
iPhone 17 Pro Max	1TB	from ~€1,949

 

Applying the rumored US increase pattern to Ireland gives us the following estimate only—not a confirmed or leaked figure:

Model	Storage	Estimated iPhone 18 Ireland Price	Estimated Increase vs iPhone 17
iPhone 18 Pro	256GB	roughly €1,550–€1,650	+€200–€300
iPhone 18 Pro	512GB	roughly €1,780–€1,880	+€200–€300
iPhone 18 Pro	1TB	roughly €2,010–€2,110	+€200–€300
iPhone 18 Pro Max	256GB	roughly €1,700–€1,800	+€200–€300
iPhone 18 Pro Max	512GB	roughly €1,930–€2,030	+€200–€300
iPhone 18 Pro Max	1TB	roughly €2,160–€2,260	+€200–€300

We want to be very clear: these estimates are our own projections based on historical Apple Ireland pricing patterns, not a leaked or reported Irish price. Treat them as a budgeting guide, not a number to hold Apple to.

The 1TB and 2TB Storage Controversy: Should You Care?

A separate and more technical rumor has been circulating from a leaker known as "Reptalica" and picked up by outlets including AppleInsider and WCCFtech. It claims Apple may use slower QLC (quad-level cell) flash storage in the 1TB and 2TB iPhone 18 Pro models while keeping faster TLC (triple-level cell) storage in the 256GB and 512GB tiers.

A few important caveats here:

• This claim comes from a single leaker, not a major research firm like TrendForce, so it deserves more skepticism than the storage-tier and pricing reports above.
• Similar QLC-downgrade rumors have circulated before past iPhone launches and, according to AppleInsider's own reporting, didn't always pan out.
• If accurate, it would mainly matter to a small group of users—professional videographers or people doing intensive on-device editing who specifically buy the largest storage tier for performance reasons, not just capacity.

Practical takeaway: most people don't need to factor this into their decision. If you were already planning to buy a 256GB or 512GB model, this rumor doesn't affect you at all.

Storage Type	Speed & Consistency	Longevity	Used In (rumoured)
TLC (Triple-Level Cell)	Faster, more consistent	Generally better under heavy use	256GB, 512GB tiers
QLC (Quad-Level Cell)	Cheaper, can slow down as it fills up	Generally lower durability	1TB, 2TB tiers (rumoured)

Buying Guide: Which Storage Tier Actually Makes Sense?

Storage	Best For	Ireland Price Estimate (Pro)	Worth It?
256GB	Everyday users—photos, apps, streaming, social media	~€1,550–€1,650	Sensible default for most buyers
512GB	Frequent photographers, families, long-term owners (3+ years)	~€1,780–€1,880	Good middle ground
1TB	Heavy 4K/ProRes video shooters, mobile creators	~€2,010–€2,110	Only if you genuinely fill up 512GB regularly
2TB (rumoured)	Professional content creators only	Unconfirmed, likely €2,200+	Niche—most people should skip this tier

What This Means for Your Upgrade Decision

If the pricing rumors hold up, this year's iPhone 18 Pro upgrade is likely to cost Irish buyers noticeably more than last year's iPhone 17 Pro did—without a base storage improvement to show for it. A few practical thoughts:

If you're currently on an iPhone 15 Pro or older, the combination of a new chip, camera changes, and AI features may still justify the higher price for you—but budget for it being a bigger jump than in previous years.

If you're on an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro already, it may be worth waiting a cycle, especially with pricing under this much upward pressure.

Locking in current iPhone 17 Pro pricing now, before the rumored increase takes effect, is a reasonable option if you need a new phone this year and want to avoid the higher cost.

FONE4U

Buying the iPhone 18 Through Fone4U

Buy now, pay later with Humm—spread the cost of your new iPhone 18 into manageable installments rather than paying the full price upfront, available to eligible Fone4U customers at checkout.

Trade-in offers—trade in your current iPhone (or another eligible device) when you upgrade, and we'll deduct its value directly from the price of your new iPhone 18, on top of any launch pricing.

Once the iPhone 18 series is officially released, it will be available to order through Fone4U, and we'll be offering a couple of ways to make the higher expected price easier to manage.

We'll confirm exact Humm terms and trade-in valuations closer to launch, once Apple's official pricing for Ireland is known—but if you're planning to upgrade this cycle, it's worth keeping an eye on Fone4U for both offers as soon as the iPhone 18 goes live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not according to current reports. Base storage is expected to stay at 256GB for both the Pro and Pro Max, unchanged from last year.

According to the sources, the reason for that lies in the shortage of memory chips, which will make both RAM and Flash memory more expensive, along with the A20 Pro processor becoming more expensive and increasing the total cost by 38%.

Current estimates suggest a $200–$300 increase in the US, potentially bringing the Pro to around $1,399 and the Pro Max to around $1,499. Not confirmed by Apple.

Based on how Apple Ireland has historically priced against the US, a rough estimate would put the Pro (256GB) somewhere around €1,550–€1,650 and the Pro Max (256GB) around €1,700–€1,800. Higher storage tiers would scale up from there. This is our own projection, not a leaked figure.

That's a claim from a single leaker, not a major research firm, suggesting QLC storage in the 1TB/2TB models. It’s not as reliable as the storage-tier and pricing data, and as such, should be approached with caution.

256GB is enough for most people’s daily use. In case you capture many photos and videos or will hold on to the phone for a while, you can go with 512GB.

In reality, only for professionals who work directly with video content on their phones. It’s not worth buying for anyone else, considering the cost.

If the price-increase rumors hold, buying an iPhone 17 Pro now could save you a meaningful amount compared to next generation's rumored pricing—worth considering if you don't need this year's specific new features.

Nothing is confirmed until Apple's official announcement, but TrendForce—a well-regarded supply-chain research firm—describes a price increase as effectively unavoidable given current component costs.

Present reports are considering only the Pro and Pro Max models, as they will be released earlier. The prices for the regular iPhone 18, expected to be available in spring 2027, have not been revealed widely so far.

Yes—once the iPhone 18 line is available, qualifying customers can opt for installment plans by using our Humm feature and thus not pay the total amount upfront.

Yes – Fone4U will provide customers with options to trade in their device at the time of launch in order to use its worth towards their new iPhone 18.

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