Key Points
iPhone 18 Pro starts AUD$2,099 in Australia with September 12 pre-orders.
1TB and 2TB storage tiers jumped AUD$500 to AUD$900 from last year.
48MP camera with variable aperture f/1.48 and A20 Pro chip with 40% faster GPU.
iPhone Duo foldable launched at AUD$1,999 with 7.6-inch inner display.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrived in Australia on September 9, with pre-orders opening Saturday, September 12 at 10 p.m. AEST. The base iPhone 18 Pro costs AUD$2,099, up AUD$100 from last year, while the Pro Max starts at AUD$2,299. Higher storage tiers saw steeper jumps: the 1TB Pro rose AUD$500 to AUD$3,299, and the 2TB Pro Max jumped AUD$900 to AUD$4,699. The headline feature is a 48-megapixel camera with variable aperture down to f/1.48, plus a faster A20 Pro chip with 40% better GPU performance.
Why prices climbed so much
Apple raised the iPhone 18 Pro base price by AUD$100 to AUD$2,099, but storage tiers saw larger increases. The 1TB model jumped AUD$500 to AUD$3,299, while the 2TB Pro Max surged AUD$900 to AUD$4,699. This marks the first time the Pro line offers 2TB storage. The company also raised prices on older iPhone models, reversing typical discounts that follow new launches.
Camera and performance upgrades
The iPhone 18 Pro features a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with a six-blade mechanical variable aperture offering four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0. This is the first iPhone with manual aperture control. The A20 Pro chip delivers 20% faster CPU and 40% faster GPU performance than last year’s A19 Pro, plus a Dual 16-core Neural Engine with double the AI processing power. Battery life improved significantly on the Pro Max model.
When to buy and where
Pre-orders opened Saturday, September 12 at 10 p.m. AEST, one day later than usual. Retail launch is Friday, September 18. Buyers can purchase directly from Apple, through carriers Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, or from retailers including JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. iOS 27 ships free on September 15 for existing iPhones. The new phones come in Black, Silver, Glacier, and an all-new Burgundy colour with matching aluminium frame and back glass.
iPhone Duo enters the picture
Apple also unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, priced at AUD$1,999. The Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display and 7.6-inch inner display (50% larger than the Pro Max’s 6.9-inch screen). However, the Pro Max has superior cameras: 48MP telephoto, ultra-wide, and main lenses with variable aperture, versus the Duo’s main and ultra-wide only. For photographers, the Pro Max’s variable aperture is a significant upgrade.
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 18 Pro delivers meaningful camera and performance gains, but steep price hikes limit appeal. With Meyka grading AAPL a B+ and forecasting AUD$346.41 monthly, the stock reflects investor confidence despite premium pricing.
FAQs
Apple increased storage tier costs significantly, with the 1TB Pro up AUD$500 and 2TB Pro Max up AUD$900, likely to offset production costs for the new variable aperture camera and A20 Pro chip.
Pre-orders opened Saturday, September 12 at 10 p.m. AEST. Retail launch is Friday, September 18 through Apple, carriers, and retailers like JB Hi-Fi.
The 48MP main camera has a six-blade mechanical aperture with four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0. Users can manually adjust it for better low-light photos and depth-of-field control.
Choose the Pro Max for superior cameras and telephoto lens. Pick the Duo if you want a larger screen when unfolded (7.6 inches versus 6.9 inches) and prefer a foldable form factor.
Disclaimer:
The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes. Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.
About Author
Huzaifa Zahoor
Co FounderHuzaifa Zahoor is the engineer who built Meyka. He has spent years writing Python, training AI models, and building data pipelines specifically for financial markets. His technical articles have reached over 30,000 readers on Medium, so he knows how to make complex things easy to follow. If this article touches on how the tools work, he is the person who actually built them.
What brings you to Meyka?
Pick what interests you most and we will get you started.
I'm here to read news
Find more articles like this one
I'm here to research stocks
Ask Meyka Analyst about any stock
I'm here to track my Portfolio
Get daily updates and alerts (coming March 2026)