Apple prepares for iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra launch by expanding its reach

Apple is gearing up for a more focused and potentially much more expensive iPhone launch this fall. 

For starters, the cheaper base iPhone 18 is being saved for spring. That leaves the more expensive Pro models and Apple’s first foldable iPhone Ultra to carry September, with higher-than-usual starting prices expected.

Here’s how Apple is already preparing to make the sticker shock more palatable for new customers and upgraders.

Apple Upgrade lowers the monthly price

First, Apple launched its new Klarna-backed Apple Upgrade program in July. Customers can lease an iPhone for either 12 or 24 months. The resulting monthly payment is lower than traditional financing over the same period because it covers only part of the device’s full price.

At the end of the lease, customers can upgrade, return the iPhone, or pay the remaining balance to own it. AppleCare costs extra, but AppleCare One makes bundling warranties more affordable.

Apple Upgrade gives the company a more approachable monthly number to advertise alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra. That matters when one of those phones could reportedly cost as much as $2,500, putting it in MacBook Pro territory.

Apple raises iPhone trade-in values

Next, just today Apple has increased trade-in values across most of its lineup.

An iPhone 16 Pro Max now fetches up to $720, compared with $695 before. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro made a larger jump from $560 to $630.

Customers can apply that credit toward either a traditional purchase or an Apple Upgrade lease. As a result, a higher trade-in value can reduce the monthly lease payment even further.

Once the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra are officially announced in September, Apple should accept current iPhone models for trade-in as well.

Apple expands Android trade-in eligibility

Finally, Apple is making a direct play for Android switchers. Its updated list adds more models from Google, Samsung, and OnePlus. That includes the Pixel 9 lineup, Galaxy S21 Ultra, OnePlus 13, and OnePlus 13R.

Those customers can apply their trade-in credit toward a purchase or Apple Upgrade lease as well. In other words, Apple is widening the entrance to its ecosystem just as its newest devices move further upmarket.

None of these measures makes the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone Ultra cheaper. Instead, they lower the visible monthly payment, increase the value of existing devices, and give more Android owners a way in.

Together, those changes could make Apple’s most expensive iPhone launch easier to sell. For customers looking to upgrade without the larger sticker price, the standard iPhone 18 and cheaper iPhone 18e are due around March or April next year.