If previous leaks haven’t made it clear, the upcoming iPhone 17 is likely to see a notable price hike. Accounting for the inflation and manufacturing costs post the US tariff session, along with the new upgrades, Apple could be charging a lot more for the next generation iPhone 17 series. Now, a new tip from GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu reveals that an inflated price tag for the iPhone 17 will indeed be the case.
The prediction comes amid a tense global trade environment where US tariffs on imported goods are influencing production costs and pricing strategies for major tech companies. As the competition in the premium segment heats up, Apple’s potential price hike for its bread-and-butter iPhone models could up the premium, which could potentially lead many to look elsewhere.
iPhone 17 price hike ‘highly likely’
As the iPhone 17 series is set to debut with a range of new features and design changes, a price increase would be a notable move from Apple. While these reports are based on analyst research and supply chain insights, they could often end up proving to be incorrect. Apple has continued to maintain the base price of $999 on its iPhone Pro variants ever since 2017’s iPhone X, regardless of analysts and leaks suggesting price hikes every year.
However, Apple has kept altering the prices in other markets, especially in India, which has only started to manufacture iPhones now. Apple is currently paying a 20% tariff on iPhones imported from China. While the company does not face the same tariffs on devices imported from India, the implementation of the new US trade tariffs for the country may see a potential price bump. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently confirmed that the majority of iPhones sold in the US are now made in India.
With trade tariffs expected to go up, Apple could finally be giving in and raise the price exponentially to keep its profit margins safe.
How much could the iPhone 17 cost?
Wall Street analysts have speculated that the iPhone 17 could see a price increase ranging from $50 to $100 for certain models. In US, this potential hike would be the first significant price jump for the flagship iPhone since the introduction of the iPhone X.
To make the higher price seem logical, Apple could raise the minimum storage capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro from 128GB to 256GB, matching the Pro Max model. With consumers already paying a premium, offering more baseline storage could be a key tactic to justify the higher cost and encourage upgrades.
Will iPhone 17 cost more in India?
Considering that Apple now manufactures the regular iPhone models in India, the base iPhone 17 could continue to cost the same as the iPhone 16’s launch price. What remains to be seen is whether Apple launches the iPhone 17 Air with an elevated price tag and hikes the prices of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max further.