iPhone 18 Pro: AED 5,135 Price Tag Just the Beginning
If you’re planning to buy the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro in the UAE, be prepared for a potentially hefty price tag. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to cost between Dh4,585 and Dh4,775, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max may range from Dh4,955 to Dh5,135. However, these prices are just the starting point, and the actual cost of ownership can add up quickly.
According to IDC Senior Director of Data & Analytics Nabila Popal, the recent price increases across Apple‘s Mac and iPad lineup suggest that iPhone pricing could follow a similar trajectory. This means that UAE buyers may face a price hike of up to $200 (around Dh735) for premium models, driven largely by rising production costs.
The base configuration of the iPhone 18 Pro is rarely the one most buyers walk away with. Storage upgrades, accessories, protection plans, and recurring cloud subscriptions can all add to the total cost of ownership. For example, heavy users may find themselves running out of space on the lower-storage iPhone, and paying more upfront for extra storage can be the smarter long-term choice. However, this also means the headline price of the iPhone 18 Pro rarely reflects what many buyers actually end up spending.
Buyers in the UAE may also find themselves adding premium accessories such as wireless earbuds and power banks to their purchase, which can add a noticeable sum to the overall cost. Protecting a device that costs several thousand dirhams often becomes an unspoken part of the ownership experience, and many buyers weigh up protection plans or extended coverage to mitigate the risk of accidental damage.
The hidden subscription costs of owning an iPhone can also add up over time. With the increasing importance of cloud storage and streaming services, UAE buyers may find themselves paying more for these services, which can further increase the total cost of ownership.
For UAE buyers, the key takeaway is that the price of the iPhone 18 Pro is just the beginning. To get a true sense of the cost of ownership, it’s essential to factor in the additional expenses that come with owning a premium smartphone. Whether it’s storage upgrades, accessories, protection plans, or recurring subscriptions, the total cost of ownership can be significantly higher than the initial purchase price.
To give you a better idea, here’s a rough breakdown of the estimated costs:
- iPhone 18 Pro: Dh4,585 – Dh4,775
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Dh4,955 – Dh5,135
- Storage upgrades: variable, but potentially hundreds of dirhams
- Accessories: variable, but potentially hundreds of dirhams
- Protection plans: variable, but potentially hundreds of dirhams per year
- Recurring subscriptions: variable, but potentially hundreds of dirhams per year
