Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?

[dampfnudel]

bad logic. For starters, the PS5 won't be at $699 anymore.

The current price (pre-tariffs) is $699 for the PS5 Pro. The new price for the Switch 2 could approach that price possibly. Of course the PS5 Pro will cost a lot more than $699 if the tariffs stick. Perhaps close to 1K? That would be an unbelievable price, the same price as the 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Good thing i just bought my iPad mini 7 & iPhone 16 Pro Max 😉 👍 I was gonna finally upgrade my 2018 iPad Pro to an M4 iPad Pro this year... but now I will probably wait for the M5 iPad Pros in 2026 or later. Hopefully by then this tariff insanity will be over. My 2018 iPad Pro is actually still going strong. 👊 💥

 

[Joshuaorange]

I wouldn't call a leader using the authority they've been given a dictator, so no I do not agree. I consider a dictator someone who usurps power they do not have.

That’s exactly what he’s doing. Executive orders, intimidation, unlawful termination of voted officials etc. That’s also why there are so many lawsuits opposing his actions.

 

[NavySilver]

Am I crazy for thinking Apple is actually better equipped than any of its non-Chinese competitors to survive this mess? It has more negotiating power, a bigger existing profit margin that it can cut into should it become necessary, and overall more agility compared to, say, Samsung/Google/Dell/HP.

It also helps that Apple started getting scrutinized for its over reliance on one single country for production years before this.

 

[0049190]

I’ve been saying for years that Apple was far too reliant on China for manufacturing their products. Now the poo has hit the fan it’s time for logistics mastermind Tim Cook to admit that he was to blame and resign.

 

[Ctrlos]

in all seriousness this won’t do Apple any favours anywhere. They’ll be priced out of the US and Chinese markets and any reciprocal import taxes in the EU will hurt them there as well.

Apple sit behind Samsung and Xiaomi in market share already and brands like Oneplus and Oppo have experienced explosive growth.

There is a very real anti-US sentiment in both the EU and UK at the minute; Apple could end up part of the fallout.

 

[Ctrlos]

I think it will be interesting to see what google & Samsung do price wise after the Apple event
Because if I was in charge of price for one of they companies I know what I would do if as expected happen

Samsung’s mobile division are in the position that they make most of their money off of $200 phones. They actually have a lot of agility when it comes to spreading cost increases. Apple on the other hand already put up the price of their lowest handset. To do so again would be a disaster.

 

[Lerxt]

The Heard and McDonald islands are external territories of Australia. A 10% tariff on Australian imports automatically applies to all Australian territories, which would also include the Coral Sea Islands - which are also uninhabited.

That's a pretty pathetic justification. Heard and McDonald Islands were a specific territory mentioned in the list of sanctioned places. The processes to develop the tariff lists was ignorantly is clownish in the extreme.

 

[Lerxt]

Doesn't really matter where you live, you have taxes to deal with. It's just that right now, it's cool to hate Donald Trump so everything he does is treated as the worst thing to ever happen in the history of the world.

Cool to hate Trump? The world has hated Trump for 30 years and particularly so since 2016. There are reasons he's despised. His boorish ignorance, criminality and lack of empathy and most of all his sheer stupidity.

 

[Patchwork]

The Wall Street Journal has calculated the impact of tariffs based on an iPhone 16 pro with 256GB. Unfortunately the details are behind their paywall but the basic details are the component costs are $549.73 before tariffs and $846.59 after, an increase of $296.86. So those thinking of a $300 increase are in the right ballpark.

 

[Stuwil]

Samsung’s mobile division are in the position that they make most of their money off of $200 phones. They actually have a lot of agility when it comes to spreading cost increases. Apple on the other hand already put up the price of their lowest handset. To do so again would be a disaster.

It will be interesting because Samsung sell less phone in the US compared with Apple I think it’s about half

 

[jlc1978]

It will be interesting to see Apple’s response. As I see it, as an international company that sells the same (essentially) product worldwide, Apple has a number of choices, including

1. Swallow the entire cost and hit margins (yea, like that will happen)
2. Raise US prices to cover all or some of the costs
3. Spread the costs across all sales worldwide, resulting in slight price hikes across the board and makes up the lost revenue from non-US sales. If I were Tim Cook, this would be my choice simply because it would have the lowest impact on sales overall, keep margins high, and avoid price arbitrage if non-US prices were significantly lower and grey market importing. Other tech companies such as Samsung could do the same, depending on how importance of US sales.

As a longer term solution, Apple appears to be looking at speeding up the shifting of production to locations outside the US, such as Brazil, with lower tariff rates.

If I were planning to buy an Apple product near term, Personally I’d do it now to avoid teh uncertainty of future pricing.

 

[Ctrlos]

It will be interesting because Samsung sell less phone in the US compared with Apple I think it’s about half

Exactly. You have an American brand as the number one in America. If they moved manufacturing to the USA they’d probably go up more in price due to the increased wage and benefits they’d have to offer workers as a result, not to mention the setup costs. Rebuilding Shenzhen in the USA would take a decade. It’s unrealistic.

 

[wikiverse]

That's a pretty pathetic justification. Heard and McDonald Islands were a specific territory mentioned in the list of sanctioned places. The processes to develop the tariff lists was ignorantly is clownish in the extreme.

Except it's not a pathetic justification. You just don't understand how Australian External Territories operate.

Norfolk Island is also specifically listed, despite being an Australian external territory. As is Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

 

[macman01101]

Great advice. I’m upgrading now before Apple intelligence gets any more expensive. As a power user, I need the power of Apple Intelligence to drive my day to day use. Also, I can depend on Siri to be a true personal assistant and perform tasks to make my life easier. I’m not going to let fear drive my decision making. If Donald Trump gets his way, Americans will be making more money and working harder, but iPhones will be $3300. I am also stocking up on toilet paper. I will use camera control at Costco to identify every product before I purchase it. Soon you will see a difference - people that have Apple intelligence and people who don’t.

 

[xmarcuswildx]

This country is a **** hole.

 

[DaveN]

I see opportunity. Make a quick trip to Canada, buy a couple iPhones, bring them back to the USA undeclared and sell them on eBay.

At a minimum, I plan on taking a vacation to Canada and buying my next iPhone there. The trip will essentially be cost free as the savings will pay for the trip and then some.

 

[philosopherdog]

How did so many Americans vote for this fascist. He is mentally ill.

 

[philosopherdog]

I see opportunity. Make a quick trip to Canada, buy a couple iPhones, bring them back to the USA undeclared and sell them on eBay.

At a minimum, I plan on taking a vacation to Canada and buying my next iPhone there. The trip will essentially be cost free as the savings will pay for the trip and then some.

Canada is not done imposing tariffs. I’m sure big tech is a good one to hit since it impacts the oligarchs responsible for funding this dictatorship

 

[Hemingray]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

 

[Jetscreamer]

You betcha. Time to finally upgrade my iphone 11 Pro before the next batch of inventory crosses the border.

 

[DaveN]

Canada is not done imposing tariffs. I’m sure big tech is a good one to hit since it impacts the oligarchs responsible for funding this dictatorship

Fine. Just pick another country that doesn’t take retribution on Apple. It is a good excuse for a trip. If Canada doesn’t take retribution against Apple and you lived in Detroit or some other city near the border, you could take an order, buy a phone in Canada, drive back to the USA and make a few bucks. It isn’t as if dogs can sniff out iPhones.

 

[macfacts]

I wouldn't call a leader using the authority they've been given a dictator, so no I do not agree. I consider a dictator someone who usurps power they do not have.

He's using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act the give him powers to have tariffs, tell me what country USA is at war with right now or what the emergency is.

 

[DMG35]

So you think that every economist is wrong & Apple will just absorb the charges & make less profits?

Not every single economist is saying that for one. And two, many economists told us in 2021 that inflation was temporary and it wasn’t. We’ve never done this before as a country and going out and buying things because you think the prices might go up is just dumb in my opinion.

 

[Jetscreamer]

I have an iPhone 16 Pro Max and I will be upgrading to iPhone 16 Pro Max because I’m Apple Intelligent

Eep, Opp, Ork, Ah-Ah?