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iPhones are known to be expensive, but at least for US buyers one thing Apple has been good about is not raising prices as the starting price of the top models has remained the same since the launch of the iPhone X That streak could be broken this year, though, as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max may cost more than their predecessors.
That’s according to Jeff Pu, a technology analyst at Haitong International Securities (an investment company based in Hong Kong), in a research note seen by MacRumors. (opens in new tab).
Pu claims this price increase will be justified by the big upgrades we’re rumored to see this year, including a periscope lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and with both Pro models potentially getting a titanium frame, solid-state buttons, and more RAM, along with the expected move to a new A17 Bionic chipset.
So while price increases are never fun, this could be a year of major upgrades for the Pro and Pro Max models, so you could at least feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
Pu doesn’t say exactly how much the price could rise, but it’s a credible claim because it comes from a reliable source. Moreover, with inflation rising, Apple will raise its prices sooner or later.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard talk of a price increase either, with one source saying the iPhone 15 Ultra – which the iPhone 15 Pro Max will potentially launch with – will cost at least $1,199, which is a $100 more than the starting price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Of course, in many other regions, such as the UK, a price hike is business as usual, as Apple didn’t seem as protective of pricing in other regions as it was in its home country of the US.
What about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus?
Pu has not indicated whether the price of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will also increase, but that seems less likely to us.
The iPhone 14 is hardly an upgrade over the iPhone 13, and leaks suggest Apple will continue that trajectory with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, widening the gap between them and the Pro models.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could finally drop the notch, but otherwise upgrades could be scarce, and these phones could be stuck with the same chipset as the iPhone 14 Pro, rather than getting a brand new one. So Apple could struggle to justify a price increase for them.
One leak even suggests the iPhone 15 Plus may be cheaper than its predecessor, as the iPhone 14 Plus isn’t selling as well as the company had hoped.
So you may not have to spend a lot to get one of the upcoming iPhones, as long as you’re happy with minimal upgrades. On the other hand, Apple’s CEO has also suggested that iPhones are now so “integral” into people’s lives, that they want to be “to really pull out all the stops to get the best they can afford”. So we wouldn’t calculate price increases across the board.
