The iPhone lineup is more expensive than ever, especially when choosing the 2TB option in either iPhone 18 Pro Max or iPhone Duo. Payment plans help, but an iPhone for Mac Studio money hurts.
The 2026 iPhone lineup is not only more expensive, but Apple's financing options have changed too. Apple managed to keep the base models with 256GB of storage reasonable, the higher storage tiers are sky-high to supplement that.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts out at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts out at $1,299. Apple's foldable iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the same 256GB of storage.
Let's be real, most consumers, even the most casual, won't survive with just 256GB of internal storage. While many will opt for the somewhat reasonable $200 price increase for 512GB, some may consider the incredible $600 or $1,200 price jumps for 1TB or 2TB.
Maxing out your iPhone
When you max out the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 2TB of storage, the cost comes to $2,499 or $104 per month with 24-month financing. The Apple Upgrade lease makes that $73 per month for 24 months or $103 per month for 12 months.
iPhone 18 Pro tops out at a record high price too
If you want to upgrade every year, like the iPhone Upgrade program previously allowed, you'll have to choose that 12-month option. Choose 24 months and attempt an upgrade in September 2027, you'll owe at least $877 plus an early contract closing fee.
Don't forget AppleCare isn't included either. You'll need AppleCare+ or AppleCare One to ensure your new device is covered.
If you're in the market for an iPhone Duo when pre-orders open in October, you'll owe $3,199 for the 2TB option. That's $133 per month financing, $92 per month for a 24-month Apple Upgrade plan, or $132 per month for a 12-month plan.
A hit to the budget
It's an incredible jump in cost for consumers living on a budget. Those that might have justified a $77 per month payment for their iPhone 17 Pro Max on Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program may have to think twice before paying $107 per month for a 1TB iPhone Duo on a 12-month plan.
That $30 per month is a lot and a little. Some might be able to afford it easily and absorb the cost, while others can't easily find that much extra cash to justify an ultimately unnecessary purchase.
The iPhone Duo is Apple's most expensive iPhone to date. For comparison, the Mac Studio with the 40-core GPU M5 Max and 1TB of storage is $93 per month on a 24-month Apple Upgrade plan.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max go up for pre-order on September 12 while the iPhone Duo goes up for pre-order on October 16. You've got some time to decide on a configuration and get a trade-in ready.
