Chance Miller
Leading up to the announcement of the iPhone 14 last fall, there were rumors
that the iPhone 14 Pro models would be more expensive than their
predecessors. In the end, Apple kept prices the same.but now the same rumors
are circulating ahead of the iPhone 15 Pro launch later this year.
iPhone 15 price increase?
According to a sketchy and unverified report on Weibo, Apple is planning to
increase the price of the iPhone 15 Pro series as a way to further widen the
gap between these models and the iPhone 15 Plus.
No further details on potential prices are provided in this report. Ahead of
the iPhone 14 Pro launch, sources such as Ming-Chi Kuo predicted price
increases of about $100 across the board. This would have put the iPhone 14
Pro at a starting price of $1,099 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max at a starting
price of around $1,199.
9to5Mac's Take
One thing that I always think is important to remember is that Apple locks
in prices and deals for many of its components more than a year ahead of
time.
It also buys at such high quantities, especially for iPhone components, that
it is better able to weather price increases than other companies.
This is likely how Apple was able to maintain the same pricing for the
iPhone 14 lineup, despite concerns around inflation and the broader
macroeconomic environment. Avoiding price increases with the iPhone 14 gave
Apple a leg-up on many of its competitors, who were forced to increase
prices due to component prices.
But while we may have escaped price increases with the iPhone 14 lineup, I
don't expect us to do it again this year. I'm not at all surprised to hear
rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (iPhone 15 Ultra?) will
be more expensive than their predecessors.
Interestingly, today's rumor suggests that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
will not see any price increases. This is despite reports that these devices
will see notable upgrades in camera hardware alongside the addition of the
Dynamic Island. There are, however, questions about the fate of the iPhone
15 Plus even being released.
In fact, there's even been one report from a source with a decent track
record claiming that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could be cheaper than
the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Theoretically, Apple could cut those
prices slightly and slightly increase the iPhone 15 Pro prices to help its
strategy of better bifurcating the lineup.
9to5Mac.
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