Five things are settled the moment you check out on Saturday, September 12: size, storage, color, whether you attach a carrier, and whether you trade something in. Only three of them move the price, one of them can cost $1,200, and one is a $100 difference Apple never prints as a number.
Apple publishes no way to change a configuration once an order is placed. The only dated remedy in its retail sales policies is price protection, which covers a price cut within 14 calendar days of delivery rather than a change of mind about storage. So the decisions are worth making before the clock starts, in order of what getting one wrong costs.
The five choices, and what each one is worth
| Choice | What Apple lists | Effect on the price |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | Up to $1,200 |
| Connectivity | AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or “Connect on your own later” | $100 |
| Size | 6.3-inch at 211 g, 6.9-inch at 249 g | $100 at every tier |
| Trade-in | iPhone 13 or later | $175 to $885 in credit |
| Color | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy | None |
Storage is the expensive one, and it is permanent
| Storage | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,199 | $1,299 |
| 512GB | $1,399 | $1,499 |
| 1TB | $1,799 | $1,899 |
| 2TB | $2,399 | $2,499 |
That is a $1,200 spread on either size, and 2TB is new to the Pro line this year. Apple sells no storage upgrade after purchase and publishes no route to change a tier once an order exists, so this is the one field on the page that cannot be corrected later at any price.
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Connectivity changes the price without changing the phone
Apple’s press release says iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while Apple’s own store lists the 6.3-inch 256GB unlocked model at $1,299. The reconciliation is Apple’s own sentence: “Connectivity discounts are reflected in the advertised price of select iPhone models, and are available to customers who connect with select carriers at the time of purchase.”
Apple never states that difference as a number, which our price analysis goes through in full. Footnote 13 adds the twist: Apple Card Monthly Installments require selecting AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon at checkout, yet the phone that arrives “is always unlocked”. Apple Upgrade, the Klarna lease, also “requires selection of an eligible carrier”, so both financing routes remove the unlocked option at the moment you buy. The UK has no such split, with the press release and the store both at 1,199 pounds.
Trade-in is a range, and the numbers moved last week
Apple publishes $175 to $885 for an iPhone 13 or later, credited instantly against the purchase. There is no per-model table from Apple, only that range, and trade-in values fell on September 9, the day of the event.
An online estimate is “valid for 14 days”, and Apple warns that an in-store specialist evaluating the device may reach a different figure if the condition does not match the description. If you are moving up from a recent Pro, our iPhone 18 Pro versus iPhone 17 Pro comparison covers what the upgrade actually buys.
Size and color cost the least to get wrong
The two sizes are 38 grams and $100 apart at every storage tier, and Apple’s battery ratings run 36 hours of video playback on the 6.3-inch against 45 on the 6.9-inch. Our Pro and Pro Max comparison sets out the rest.
Color is the only field with no price attached. Black returns after the iPhone 17 Pro skipped it, Burgundy is a dark cherry red and Glacier is a light blue, and all four cost the same at every tier.
What has not been confirmed
- AppleCare+ pricing for iPhone 18 Pro, which Apple has not published per device.
- Any per-customer order limit in the US. Only Apple’s Singapore store publishes one, at two of each model.
- When a card is authorized as opposed to charged.
- Any delivery date before you order. Apple’s line is that “you’ll get a final delivery date after you place your order”.
- Any education discount specific to iPhone 18 Pro, with Apple’s education store listing the same starting price.
Pre-orders open at 5 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12, and the phones arrive on Friday, September 18. iOS 27 lands free on Monday, September 14, between the two dates.
