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Point of Focus
- The iPhone 18 Pro costs about 0.0151 BTC or 0.48 ETH at launch-day prices.
- It costs 53% more in Bitcoin and 87% more in Ether than the iPhone 17 Pro did at launch.
- Despite the increase, iPhones remain over 99.9% cheaper in Bitcoin terms than in 2011.
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup costs substantially more in Bitcoin and Ether than last year’s equivalent models, reversing the long-term trend of new iPhones becoming cheaper when priced in cryptocurrency.
Apple set the iPhone 18 Pro’s starting price at $1,199 and the Pro Max’s at $1,299, representing a $100 increase for each model.
With Bitcoin trading near $79,196 and Ether at approximately $2,500 on launch day, the devices cost around 0.0151 BTC or 0.48 ETH and 0.0164 BTC or 0.52 ETH, respectively.
iPhone 18 costs over 50% more in Bitcoin
The increase becomes clear when comparing the new phones with their direct predecessors.
At its September 2025 launch, the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro cost approximately 0.0099 BTC or 0.2567 ETH. The $1,199 Pro Max required roughly 0.0108 BTC or 0.28 ETH.
HOW MUCH BITCOIN DOES AN iPHONE COST?
2011 – iPhone 4S: 156 BTC
2012 – iPhone 5: 52 BTC
2013 – iPhone 5s: 5.1 BTC
2014 – iPhone 6: 1.6 BTC
2015 – iPhone 6s: 2.8 BTC
2016 – iPhone 7: 1.1 BTC
2017 – iPhone 8: 0.19 BTC
2018 – iPhone XR: 0.12 BTC
2019 – iPhone 11: 0.069 BTC
2020 -…— Master of Crypto (@MasterCryptoHq) September 10, 2026
Based on launch-day prices, the iPhone 18 Pro therefore costs around 53% more in Bitcoin and 87% more in Ether. The Pro Max costs approximately 52% more in BTC and 86% more in ETH.
Apple’s higher dollar prices explain only part of the increase. Bitcoin traded near $111,033 when the iPhone 17 launched, while Ether stood around $4,282. By the iPhone 18 unveiling, BTC had fallen approximately 29% and ETH about 42%, reducing their purchasing power.
These figures remain sensitive to market movements because the required crypto amounts change alongside BTC and ETH prices.
Apple interrupts a long-term crypto trend
CoinGecko data show how dramatically the Bitcoin cost of an iPhone has declined over time. Apple’s $649 iPhone 4S required approximately 162.25 BTC in 2011, when Bitcoin traded near $4.
By 2025, the $799 base iPhone 17 cost only about 0.0072 BTC, a reduction of more than 99.9%.
Bitcoin vs iPhone: What's a Better Investment?
Seven years ago one Bitcoin bought 10 iPhones, today it buys 65. That's the whole argument in two numbers – and the numbers in between are the reason it isn't that simple.
Look at 2021 to 2022: 42 down to 19. Anyone who felt rich… pic.twitter.com/RWIMp4TGmb
— Top 7 | Tech, AI & Crypto Analytics (@top7ico) September 10, 2026
Ether followed a similar trajectory. A $649 iPhone represented around 876.41 ETH in 2015, when Ether traded at $0.74. The base iPhone 17 required approximately 0.1841 ETH a decade later.
The decline was not uninterrupted. Crypto bear markets also temporarily increased the Bitcoin-denominated cost of iPhones in years including 2018 and 2022.
Apple raises prices and upgrades hardware
Apple confirmed that both Pro models start with 256GB of storage and offer configurations of up to 2TB.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature the A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a two-nanometer process.
If you saved up money just to buy the new iPhone, invest it in Bitcoin instead.
And you could buy 100 iPhones in 10 years with the same money. https://t.co/qonseL3vpn
— Crypto Kid (@CryptoKid) September 10, 2026
Apple also added a 48-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, an upgraded cooling system and a smaller Dynamic Island.
Preorders open on Sept. 12, with retail availability beginning Sept. 18.
For crypto holders, however, the defining change is the price: Apple’s $100 increase and weaker Bitcoin and Ether markets have made the annual upgrade considerably more expensive.
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