Abstract:
As Apple’s autumn new product launch conference approaches, the focus of most attention from the outside world has gradually turned to the pricing range of new models. Recently, some overseas branches of Vodafone, a well-known multinational telecommunications operator, accidentally leaked the prices of a number of Apple’s upcoming flagship models, including the much-anticipated regular iteration flagships iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as well as Apple’s first foldable screen model iPhone Ultra.
Leaked data shows that the growth rate of the regular Pro series is much milder than the pessimistic expectations of the outside world. Although the price of the new folding screen machine is high, the overall pricing range is still within the conventional logic of competing products.
According to page information briefly listed on the Vodafone Egypt platform, the price tags of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are 98,000 Egyptian pounds and 105,000 Egyptian pounds respectively. Compared with the local starting price of the previous generation product of approximately 88,799 Egyptian pounds, the increases for the two models are approximately 10% and 11% respectively. Since Egypt imposes higher tariffs and value-added taxes on imported consumer electronics products, their actual selling prices are not directly equivalent to the international market prices. If calculated back to the basic pricing in the US market based on this increase ratio, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to start at around US$1,099, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max may start at US$1,299, an overall increase of about US$100 from the previous generation. This price increase is not only significantly lower than the dramatic increase of US$150 to US$200 previously predicted by some market analysts, but it is also basically maintained within the psychological expectations of mainstream consumers, and is even at the same level as the starting price of the equivalent super-large flagship of the Samsung Galaxy S series.
Compared with the gentle transition of conventional iterative models, the pricing of Apple’s first foldable screen product, iPhone Ultra, demonstrates the positioning of a top-notch luxury flagship. In Vodafone Egypt’s leaked information, the price of this model is as high as 155,750 Egyptian pounds, which is almost a 75% premium over the basic Pro version of the same generation when converted to regular selling prices. At the same time, leaked configurations and pricing from Vodafone Australia channels also show that iPhone Ultra is available in three storage specifications: the 256GB version is priced at AU$3,699 (directly converted to about US$2,660), the 512GB version is priced at AU$4,199, and the top-end 1TB version is priced at AU$4,699. Given that the Australian market typically includes around 10% GST as well as channel costs, its after-tax effective selling prices are generally higher than the domestic US benchmark. Based on calculations based on data from two channels and historical pricing rules, the starting price of iPhone Ultra in the US domestic market is expected to be between US$1,999 and US$2,099.
This price range means that Apple has adopted a precise high-end follow-up strategy in testing the waters in the field of folding screens. Although the starting price of US$1,999 to US$2,099 exceeds the US$1,899 of the regular version of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, it is the same as the US$2,099 of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Ultra, and there is no extreme premium of up to US$2,500 or even US$3,000 as previously reported in some rumors. From the perspective of product competition, this pricing not only establishes the foldable form’s super-top status in Apple’s product line, but also avoids being left out due to being out of touch with market reality.
Although the operators involved quickly removed the page after the relevant screenshots and prices caused an uproar on the Internet, and some regional teams even denied the authenticity of the leak, the complete product hierarchy and various capacity versions shown in the leaked data are still extremely consistent. For consumers who plan to upgrade in the fall, the mild price increase of the regular Pro version may be a reassurance, but if you want to try Apple's first foldable screen phone, you need to be prepared for a high budget.
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