Rumors claim the iPhone 18 Pro may experience a price hike due to its 2nm chip

We haven't seen the iPhone 17 phones yet and already the internet is brimming with rumors about the iPhone 18 models. The phones are expected to launch in late 2026, and at this point, seems pretty far away to know for sure what will happen to them. However, there are some curious things that may go on.

In 2026, Apple is rumored to use TSMC's 2-nanometer processors for the first time. Producing a chip using a 2nm process is quite expensive, and this is believed would raise the price of the iPhone 18 Pro, which is the model (together with the Pro Max) rumored to sport the 2nm chip.

Reportedly, the shift from 3nm to 2nm could cost Apple an extra $35 per iPhone application processor, which is in fact a whopping 70% increase from $50 to $85, at least according to Ctee (via Twitter user @Jukanlosreve).

This price increase for the chip only should drive the price of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max up unless Apple wants to pay the price difference out of pocket (I sincerely doubt that, by the way).

The Cupertino tech giant is expected to stick to 3nm for the processors of the non-Pro iPhones to keep the costs reasonable.

Of course, going for a 2nm chip for the iPhone 18 Pro would mean the chip's performance and energy efficiency would increase while at the same time, the chip itself would shrink in size. The processor that's supposed to power the iPhone 18 Pro should probably be an A20 Pro (this name is speculative based on the previous names of Apple processors, and is far from etched in stone).

Theoretically, the 2nm chip in the Pro iPhone 18 models would ensure better battery life and faster processing.

Apart from this ultra-high-end chip, the iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to feature an under-screen Face ID sensor which would presumably shrink or eliminate the Dynamic Island on the front of the device. The iPhones for 2026 are also rumored to come with a variable aperture wide-angle lens for better depth and bokeh effects.

Of course, as you can tell it's very early to know for sure what Apple's plans for these iPhones will be. These early rumors suggest we may see a price hike on the iPhone 18 Pro, but the mobile tech industry changes quite often and can surprise us, so we don't know what will happen some two years from now with certainty.

For one I'm sure: processors are crazy fast these days so I doubt an A20 Pro would be that much different than the current Pro Apple processor (the A18 Pro) at least when it comes to real-life experiences. If you ask me, I'd better focus on delivering on the promise of Apple Intelligence than squeezing milliseconds of speed out of a chip that's already fast and furious.