iPhone 18 Crypto Cost Jumps Amid Apple Price Hike
The iPhone 18 Pro now costs 53% more in Bitcoin than its predecessor. Apple raised the base price by $100 while crypto values fell sharply.
The iPhone 18 Pro requires 0.0151 Bitcoin to purchase. This represents a 53% increase in crypto cost compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. The Pro Max model demands 0.0164 Bitcoin. Apple set the starting price for the Pro at $1,199. The Pro Max starts at $1,299. These figures are $100 higher than their 2025 counterparts.
Ether costs for the new devices rose by 87% for the Pro. The Pro Max requires 0.52 ETH, an 86% jump. Bitcoin traded near $79,196 on launch day. Ether stood around $2,500. These spot prices drive the calculated crypto amounts. The figures fluctuate with market movements.
Crypto Depreciation Drives Cost Increase
Apple’s $100 price hike explains only part of the rise. Crypto depreciation accounted for the majority of the change. Bitcoin fell 29% since the iPhone 17 launch. Ether dropped roughly 42% in the same period. The iPhone 17 Pro cost 0.0099 BTC in September 2025. Bitcoin traded at $111,033 at that time. Ether was near $4,282 then. The current lower coin prices require more units to buy the same device.
Pre-launch reports predicted higher starting prices of $1,299 and $1,399. Apple confirmed the lower pricing on Sept. 9. The final cost remains elevated in crypto terms. Buyers face a double impact of higher fiat prices and lower asset values. The calculation uses launch-day spot rates. Future costs will vary with market conditions.
Fifteen Year Trend Reversal
This reversal breaks a long-term pattern. The iPhone 4S in 2011 cost 162.25 BTC. Bitcoin traded near $4 then. The base iPhone 17 in 2025 cost just 0.0072 BTC. That represents a decline of over 99.9%. The iPhone 18 marks a sharp uptick. GN markets/crypto (en-US) notes this disrupts the historical trend.
Ether showed a similar trajectory previously. A 2015 iPhone cost 876.41 ETH. Ether traded at $0.74 then. The 2025 base model required 0.1841 ETH. Bear markets in 2018 and 2022 caused temporary spikes. The 2025 gains were followed by this 2026 reversal. The cost in coins has now increased again.
