WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

[DennisdeWit]

If it is a 100 bucks extra, I would accept it. More than that? No. I am deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, but I’d probably move away from iPhone if it will be very expensive.

I mean, as of today I also have a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for developing apps. I could easily switch over. The only problem is the Apple Watch Ultra. But nothing that can’t be fixed.

Apple should be careful, otherwise people will move away.

 

[ducknalddon]

The tariffs do have an effect but I believe that many companies (including Apple) wanted to raise their prices even before the tariffs.

The companies now have a good excuse.

They never needed an excuse, if they thought the market could bear higher prices then they would have gone for it.

 

[Dougglas]

So it's already $2,149 for the 256GB 16 Pro Max in Australia, so I'm guessing the 256GB 17 Pro Max might be $2,400 in Australia?

For all the people saying "consumers need to push back and not buy so prices go down", good luck with that as the 256GB XS Max was the first model to crack the $2K mark at a retail of $2,049 back in 2018 in Australia.

It's funny when other countries complain about price rises when we've been getting bent over for years by Uncle Timmy and Co. But people will keep buying the new iPhones every year like they have been for the last 7 years & thank him for the privilege of being able to spend $2K on a smartphone with only 256GB of storage.

What a time to be alive🫠.

According to my rough estimates, you’re paying AU$106 more than US price + my area’s unlisted local US sales tax. So if the price in the US (before tax) was raised to the AU price, the US iPhone at $1199 would increase to $1267. Only about a 5.4% increase in price. Considering my sales tax is 2.25% less than your standard 10% VAT (assuming no other AU taxes on premium electronics I don’t know about), it would even things down to 3.15% more, or $1199 increases to $1237. Not that bad considering currency fluctuations.

Or look at it the opposite way. Remove your 10% VAT before comparing to US price. AU$2149 reduces to AU$1934 or US$1233 or a 2.8% difference above US price. Barely a perceptible difference.

The only variable is cost of living between the US and AU, but different sources are giving mixed answers. We both have such varied regional demographics, it would be impossible to account for, but we’re both rich countries so I’ll call it even.

I guess I get to complain about the price as much as an Australian. I still have to buy a replacement phone when mine stops working well enough since they are essential to our lives now.

 

[Dougglas]

They should postpone the iPhone 17 lineup this year and focus on putting Apple Intelligence on all the devices they already sold with the promise of Apple Intelligence.

When Apple said the 16 was “built for AI,” anyone that has a marginal understanding of product development knew that was a marketing lie. They start working on iPhone development at least 2 years out. AI was announced a couple months before the 16 dropped. They were already making final product for shipment by that point. It’ll be 2 years before a real iPhone made for AI drops.

To prove my point the iPhone 13 Mini was a flop (despite a vocal minority of users), but they were already in development of iPhone 14 Mini so they released it, only to unceremoniously kill it the following year. When iPhone 17 Air comes out, even if it’s a flop, iPhone 18 Air will come out, then get killed. iPhone 18 will be the first iPhone completely designed in AI BS era.

I need to stop before I start ranting about how **** AI is.

 

[insomniac86]

And I'm sure this will be a global increase, not a domestic one. Which funnily enough means iPhones sold outside the US will be even more profitable for Apple!

Exactly right. They will increase costs globally to cover the higher localised rates.
That’s a no brainer.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

its literally back to aluminum… so I would be paying for far less material than before if this is the case. 2) it’s an added rectangle for the camera on the back and faster. That’s it …

It will come in a slightly different shade of grey and silver than before. It's quite the value proposition.

 

[insomniac86]

First it was Covid that companies blamed for price increases and now tarriffs. I just don’t buy it. After Covid was over prices never really came back down. US/China already agreed to significantly reduce tariff's last night. So, enough of the excuses to raise prices.

Consumers need to push back on this stuff. Stop buying and prices go down. Accept higher prices and they stay and then go up again. Consumers own the market, not businesses.

The problem is, you need the vast majority to play that game.

 

[01cowherd]

Eliminating a low storage pro tier without raising or lowering the prices of the other tiers.

When they pulled that on the 15 series was the first time I didn’t buy the larger phone. Turns out I got used to the smaller size pretty quickly and probably won’t go back to the larger size even if they offered the lower storage tier again.

 

[DrJR]

Told you not to panic…. As I predicted, negotiations are underway! Winning!

 

[insomniac86]

So it's already $2,149 for the 256GB 16 Pro Max in Australia, so I'm guessing the 256GB 17 Pro Max might be $2,400 in Australia?

For all the people saying "consumers need to push back and not buy so prices go down", good luck with that as the 256GB XS Max was the first model to crack the $2K mark at a retail of $2,049 back in 2018 in Australia.

It's funny when other countries complain about price rises when we've been getting bent over for years by Uncle Timmy and Co. But people will keep buying the new iPhones every year like they have been for the last 7 years & thank him for the privilege of being able to spend $2K on a smartphone with only 256GB of storage.

What a time to be alive🫠.

Yeah, but our carriers have been offering 3 year repayment terms, so people just switch over to a 3 year upgrade cycle.

In saying that, Apple used to be extremely popular in Australia along with iMessage usage etc. But I’m finding in the last 3 or so years, most people are rocking a Galaxy. Hell, you can buy a flagship Samsung for $800 bucks on a good JB hi-fi sale. $800 vs $2149 hmmmmm.

 

[Finch106]

Honesty is so scary!

 

[svish]

Disappointing to hear about a hike in prices but I think it will definitely happen. Think the Pro model will get 256GB as base storage with a price of $1099 while the Pro Max will have a hike of $100 taking it to $1299. This will ensure that there is a gap of $200 as it exists today.

Not sure how the new Air will be priced and I think the base models might have a $50 increase in price.

 

[california_kid]

Hey now, Apple Polishing Cloth is still $19 which is exactly the same price at launch. It should be at least $39 now given inflation and tariffs.

 

[ForkHandles]

Hmmm. Prices increasing! Who’d of thought

 

[acader]

Sounds like a cat drinking milk with its eyes closed...

 

[weckart]

Told you not to panic…. As I predicted, negotiations are underway! Winning!

What negotiations? China refused to negotiate until Trump climbed down. This is all about saving face now and consumers are collateral damage.

 

[rafark]

The tariffs are just bad for Apple's business. Apple's prices are at the max that a lot of people can or will afford, so increasing them will hurt sales. There is no good, Apple's profits will take a hit. Either from lower sales or from paying tariffs.

I think Apple can avoid price increases for now as the dollar took a hit and Apple didn't lower prices overseas, so they get more Dollars for their Euros and Pounds.

I don’t disagree with you but people been saying that since like the first iPhone? When it was like 500 bucks everyone was complaining how expensive it was then it was $1k, same story but people kept buying iPhones.

 

[elrojo69]

I might just be an iPhone SE guy. They are plenty powerful.

 

[kirbyrun]

The WSJ report notes that Apple is particularly concerned about avoiding any appearance that price increases are directly related to tariffs.

This is just grotesque cowardice and really vile.

 

[Baslea]

What do they mean by China? I thought EU is always the culprit and to blame…?

 

[Wanted797]

I bought a new iPhone direct from Apple with the 12 pro max. I then bought a telco sale 13 mini.

Given I love the small phone. Nothing compels me to upgrade but I won’t be buying the top end and unlikely brand new again.

Like new cars. It just not worth it.

 

[asdfjkl;]

looks like china tarrifs lifted today and will be 10% plus 20% for fentynal production...

For a total 30% tariff which is, historically speaking, a gigantic tariff. Your wallet will not like it one bit. It only sounds low because it is not the ludicrous 145% that was threatened. Tariffs at this level are business and job killing. I have little doubt it will cause a US recession and likely a global one.

 

[dampfnudel]

They should postpone the iPhone 17 lineup this year and focus on putting Apple Intelligence on all the devices they already sold with the promise of Apple Intelligence.

How can they do that when those devices only have 8GB of RAM? It’s becoming clear that the main obstacle is not enough RAM. Apple Intelligence is probably doing really great right at this very moment on the 12GB equipped 17 lineup models that are being tested in Cupertino. They’re probably even testing the 4th generation Apple TV 4K with 12GB at the moment.

 

[EM2013]

They’re going to have to pay me to get that hideous design

 

[garranhado]

iPhone is really expensive outside US. 200€ Android can do the same work many people need.