iPhone 18 May Not Arrive With Hardware Upgrades, Could Be Closer to iPhone 18e as Apple Cuts Costs: Reports

iPhone 17 was launched in September last year, along with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The standard model arrived with various upgrades over its predecessor, including a faster Apple Silicon A19 chipset, the ProMotion display with up to 120Hz of refresh rate, a dual rear 48-megapixel camera system, and higher base storage, with a marginal price bump in India. Soon after its unveiling, rumours about its purported successor began surfacing online, suggesting that the standard iPhone 18 might not see a price increase, despite soaring memory prices. Now, a tipster claims that the phone is likely to ship with downgraded hardware to save costs.

iPhone 18 Hardware Changes (Anticipated) 

In a post Weibo, tipster Fixed-Focus Digital Cameras (translated from Chinese) claims that the standard iPhone 18 model will be launched with various downgrades, including but not limited to manufacturing process, chipset specifications, and RAM. This is said to be part of the Cupertino-based tech giant's efforts to reduce input costs. Moreover, this will reportedly bring the smartphone closer to the iPhone 18e, the rumoured low-cost iPhone 18 series model.

This comes as the smartphone industry is feeling the pinch from the exponential and uncontrolled rise in smartphone components, especially memory and storage chips, including NAND and RAM sticks. However, a recent report highlighted that the iPhone maker is planning to launch the standard iPhone 18 model at the same price as last year's iPhone 17, despite the rising memory prices.

Contrary to the latest development, the company was previously expected to absorb the rising component costs, taking a hit in terms of gross margins, while also securing chips in bulk.

For reference, iPhone 17 was launched in India in September 2025 at a starting price of Rs. 82,900 for the base 256GB configuration. While the handset arrived at a Rs. 3,000 premium in India compared to its predecessor, its price remained unchanged at $799 (roughly Rs. 71,000) in the US, while offering higher onboard storage.

As previously mentioned, the iPhone 17 arrived with multiple upgrades over the 2024-launched iPhone 16. The smartphone is equipped with a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED ProMotion display with up to 120Hz of refresh rate. It is powered by the Apple Silicon A19 chipset, comprising a 16-core Neural Engine. Moreover, the rear camera setup was upgraded to offer two 48-megapixel shooters. On the front, the handset ships with an 18-megapixel selfie camera with Centre Stage.