iPhone 15: What Apple Could Do With Prices This Fall

Remember when the first iPhone came out in 2007 and it cost a whopping $499? That was a lot of money back then, but it was just the beginning. The price of Apple’s iconic product has steadily — sometimes dramatically — increased, due to a wide array of factors, like improved technology and features as well as inflation. As a publicly listed company, Apple also faces consistent pressure to keep growing its booming iPhone business, which brings in nearly half its revenue. But how much more can Apple charge for its iPhones?

The iPhone has only become more expensive over the last 15 years, even when you adjust for inflation. The trend of rising iPhone prices, however, is not consistent or predictable. Apple adjusts its pricing strategy based on various factors, including consumer demand, competitive pressures and inflation, which tends to increase the cost of producing an iPhone. 

Despite the slowing smartphone market, Apple seems to be confident in its ability to charge more for its iPhones this year. According to various rumors and reports, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could see a price increase of $100 or even $200 compared to the iPhone 14 models — in the US. Apple may justify this price hike by offering some exclusive features and improvements for the Pro models, such as a titanium body, a faster processor, skinnier bezels and a better camera.

Read more: iPhone 15 Rumors: All The Buzz About Apple’s Next Phone

Last year, Apple increased prices last year outside the US, in some Asian and European countries whose currencies had dropped against the dollar ahead of the 2022 iPhone event. Shoppers in the UK had to contend with a price increase of approximately $85 for the iPhone 14, which starts at £849 compared to the iPhone 13’s price tag of £779. Meanwhile, people in Japan were dealt one of the highest prices globally, approximately $150 more, due mostly to a slumping yen. But the iPhone 14 didn’t see a price hike in mainland China, Apple’s largest market outside the US, despite a drop in the country’s yuan currency. Still, major retailers reportedly slashed prices of iPhone 14 models amid a slump in smartphone demand there.  

For the iPhone 15, the buy-in price of the upcoming flagship lineup or the price of the regular iPhone 15, is currently expected to remain the same, according to analysts and rumors. However, as mentioned earlier, the prices of the Pro models could see an increase whether by way of a higher base storage variant or an actual price hike. 

According to a MacRumors report, citing Barclays analyst Tim Long, the iPhone 15 Pro could cost $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro, while the iPhone Pro Max price hike could be in the range of $100 to $200 more. A similar claim has been made by Jeff Pu, of investment firm Haitong International Securities, who said the iPhone 15 Pro Max specifically is due for a price increase, according to another MacRumors report. This is based on the assumption that Apple will add more features and components to the Pro models, such as a new periscope camera, a titanium frame and a 3-nanometer A17 Bionic chip. 

Despite a possible increase in iPhone prices stateside, people in the US don’t tend to feel the pinch as much since carriers typically offer discounts and subsidies, shaving hundreds of dollars off the list price to encourage upgrades. In fact, for the iPhone 14 lineup, ATT offered a “free” iPhone 14 when you trade in an older iPhone. Trading in an iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB will net you the full deal value as long as everything works and nothing is broken. This year, it is likely that ATT will “slash” $1,000 off the iPhone 15 Pro Max given its track record of doing so in recent years.  

Read more: Best ATT Phone Deals: Up to $800 Off From New Phones from Apple, Samsung and More

It’s no secret that phone prices have soared as technology has progressed. New features like 5G, advanced cameras and foldable displays all make for more expensive phones. Thankfully, even Apple’s priciest iPhone is still cheaper than foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which starts at $1,800 without a trade-in. But it’s getting close. Case in point: The highest-storage variant of the iPhone 14 Pro Max (1TB) will set you back $1,599 — and that’s before you throw in sales tax, Apple Care, a phone case and anything else you might need to use your new iPhone.