We’re getting closer to September, and as usual, Apple is gearing up to introduce new iPhones. This year, we will have the iPhone 15 series with significant changes on the iPhone 15 and Plus design, and neat hardware upgrades for the Pro and Pro Max. According to multiple sources, Apple will increase the price of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max slightly. According to Tim Long, an analyst at British Bank Barclays, the iPhone 15 Pro will see an increase of $100 in its Price. The Pro Max’s new price could be as much as $200.
The information is based on deep conversations with the supply chain companies in Asia. In a research note earlier this month, Long said he expects the 15 Pro to cost up to $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is $100 to $200 more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The analyst believes pricing will remain similar for the standard iPhone 15 and Plus Models. Based on these estimates, the pricing for the iPhone 15 lineup in the United States could be as follows:
- iPhone 15: $799 (unchanged)
- 15 Plus: $899 (unchanged)
- iPhone 15 Pro: Up to $1,099 (vs. $999 now)
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Up to $1,299 (vs. $1,099 now)
What Could Explain The Price Increase on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will bring significant upgrades. That could explain Apple’s decision on pushing the price a little higher than usual. For example, the Pro Max will bring a periscope camera with 5-6x zoom, it’s a step up from the 3x offered in the iPhone 14 Pro models. This feature will be exclusive to the Pro Max and justifies why it’s getting the bigger price increase. In any case, both will have upgraded 48 MP cameras.
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Other features of the Pro series include USB Type-C, Titanium Frame, Customizable Action Button, and the Apple A17 Bionic. The latter will be the world’s first 3nm chipset from TSMC and will bring significant improvements in performance and energy consumption. The Pro series will also embrace the bezel-less trend with thinner bezels. The devices will offer Wi-Fi 6E, Increased RAM, new Ultrawideband Chip. (Source).
All those features when combined with the ongoing inflationary pressures could almost warrant a price hike. That would be the first price increase on high-end iPhones since the iPhone X and iPhone XS Max. The former started the $999 price standard, whereas the latter was the first iPhone to cost $1,099.
Conclusion
Although multiple sources have been pointing to a price hike, we still need to treat these with a bit of skepticism. Right now, they are educated guesses while we wait for Apple’s official confirmation. We saw many claims in the last years pointing to price increases, but just a few materialized. For instance, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo pointed to a price increase for the iPhone 14 Pro Models last year. However, they ended up costing the same as their predecessors.
Besides Long, Bloomberg’s Debby Wu and Takashi Mochizuki have also reported a possible price increase on the iPhone 15 Pro models. Really, multiple sources are pointing to this possibility. But for now, we can only wait for the big reveal. Apple only discloses the price of the iPhone’s keynote. Thankfully, this release is less than two months away from now.
