iPhone 18 expected to cost more amid global memory chip shortage
Apple is set to unveil its latest generation of iPhones on Wednesday at an event headlined by new CEO John Ternus, with the lineup widely expected to include the company’s first foldable smartphone. Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1, will lead the launch eight days into his tenure.
Many of Apple’s biggest rivals have already entered the foldable category. Samsung, Motorola and Google have all released foldable smartphones, but, according to the AP report, Apple is not one to rush on new technologies.
Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee framed the expected entry as a textbook move. “The foldable launch is straight out of Apple’s playbook: Wait for the product to work out its kinks and for the market to offer glimpses of viability, then enter and shape the category,” Chatterjee said.
The foldable smartphone market remains a small slice of the broader industry. Chatterjee noted that foldables “still represent a minuscule share of the smartphone market,” and added: “The test of Apple’s ambition will be whether it can expand that niche into a meaningful new segment.”
The Wednesday event will also bring the iPhone 18 generation, which is expected to cost more than its predecessors in part because of a global memory chip shortage. Apple’s current iPhone 17 lineup is priced from $799 to $1,999 depending on the model.