iPhone 18 Pro Lens Cost 50% Higher – Price Surge Ahead

Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro could see a noticeable price hike, driven in part by a projected 50% rise in the cost of its variable‑aperture lenses. The company may need to pass these higher manufacturing expenses on to consumers, potentially nudging the device’s retail price upward.

When the iPhone 17 Pro launched, Apple lifted its base price to $1,099 from the $999 debut of the iPhone 16 Pro. That increase was partly explained by the jump in entry‑level storage, which moved from 128 GB to 256 GB.

Rumors of a variable‑aperture lens on the iPhone 18 Pro surfaced in early 2024, first reported by Kuo. This year, Korean outlet ETNews confirmed that Sunny Optical has already begun producing the lenses for the upcoming series, slated to hit shelves in September.