iPhones are known for being expensive, but for US buyers at least, one thing Apple has been good at is not raising prices, with the starting price of the top models remaining the same since the launch of the iPhone X. However, that streak could be broken this year, as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max might cost more than their predecessors.
That’s according to Jeff Pu, a tech analyst at Haitong International Securities (an investment firm in Hong Kong), in a research note seen by MacRumors.
Pu claims that this price increase will be justified by the major upgrades we’re reportedly going to see this year, including a periscope lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and with both Pro models possibly 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 big upgrades for the Pro and Pro Max models, so you might at least feel that you’re getting your money’s worth.
Pu doesn’t say exactly how much the price might increase by, but it’s a credible claim as it comes from a reputable source. Plus, with rising inflation, Apple is bound to increase its prices sooner or later.
This also isn’t the first time we’ve heard talk of a price increase, with one source saying that the iPhone 15 Ultra – which could be what the iPhone 15 Pro Max will launch as – will cost at least $1,199, making for a $100 increase over the starting price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Of course, in many other regions, such as the UK, a price increase is business as usual, because Apple hasn’t seemed as protective about prices in other regions as in its home country of the US.
What about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus?
Pu hasn’t commented on whether the price of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will increase too, but we’d think that’s rather less likely.
The iPhone 14 is barely an upgrade on the iPhone 13, and leaks suggest Apple will continue that trajectory with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, while widening the gap between them and the Pro models.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus might finally ditch the notch, but otherwise upgrades could be scant, and these phones might be stuck with the same chipset as the iPhone 14 Pro, rather than getting a brand-new one. So Apple might struggle to justify a price hike for them.
In fact, one leak even suggests that the iPhone 15 Plus might be cheaper than its predecessor, due to the iPhone 14 Plus not selling as well as the company had hoped.
So, you might not have to spend big to get one of the upcoming iPhones, as long as you’re happy with minimal upgrades. Then again, Apple’s CEO has also suggested that iPhones are now so “integral” to people’s lives, that they might be “willing to really stretch to get the best they can afford.” So we wouldn’t count out price rises across the board.
