Pre-orders for Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched on the iStore this weekend, and they’re a bit of a mixed bag. Apple tacked on a price hike of around R1,600 ($100) to this year’s crop of smartphones, something Saffas have (kinda) dodged thanks to a stronger Rand than last year. To that end, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at R28,800 – a minor R200 increase over the iPhone 17 Pro – while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at R31,300.
Alright then, keep your storage
Fork over the amounts we mentioned, and you’ll get 256GB of onboard storage for your chosen iPhone. The 512GB models are actually even cheaper than their iPhone 17 Pro counterparts, costing R33,600 and R36,000 respectively. But if you’re after a terabyte or more of storage, that’s where Apple will get you. In the case of the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 2TB storage, for instance, it’ll set buyers back R60,000 – R7,500 more than last year.
R60,000 for any smartphone is especially egregious. Buyers, of course, don’t have to get the most competent model (or any iPhone). The prices are what they are because people will pay up. It’s not (entirely) Apple’s fault, but rather the industry at large. As artificial intelligence continues to vacuum up available resources, tech companies are finding it harder to keep up. Apple, though, is one of the companies doing the vacuuming.
Read More: Apple finally enters the foldable race with the iPhone Duo
Whichever storage tier takes your fancy, you’ll get hold of Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, “a powerhouse for everything from more advanced on-device AI workloads to demanding games, and is designed to deliver exceptional performance for years to come.” The battery also promises to be the most qualified we’ve seen.
In addition to the iStore’s pre-order prices, MTN South Africa confirmed contract prices for the devices. The iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) starts at R1,300/m for 36 months (minus a Rand if you subscribe to psychological marketing tactics), while the iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) starts at R1,360/m for 36 months. 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB models are also available from the telecoms company. Expect the devices to hit shelves on 18 September.
| Model | RRP |
| iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) | R28,800 |
| iPhone 18 Pro (512GB) | R33,600 |
| iPhone 18 Pro (1TB) | R43,300 |
| iPhone 18 Pro (2TB) | R57,700 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB) | R31,300 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max (512GB) | R36,000 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max (1TB) | R45,700 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max (2TB) | R60,000 |
