A leaker with a decent track record has backed reports of higher pricing for the iPhone 17 line-up compared to the iPhone 16, but says that Apple will be cushioning the blow somewhat.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at 128GB flash storage, but the base iPhone 17 Pro is said to offer 256GB storage – effectively a $100 value …
iPhone 17 price reports
It’s been widely speculated that Apple will increase prices for this year’s iPhones, in order to cover the costs of US tariffs imposed on products manufactured in China. While Apple is aiming to source as many US iPhones as possible from India, it’s unlikely it could meet total US launch demand for the iPhone 17 lineup.
Apple initially chose to absorb these extra costs, taking a $900M hit in Q2, but is expected to pass on at least some of the costs to consumers in future.
My own guess back in May was a $50 price raise, and an analyst suggested the same thing last month – though said that the base model would escape. Leaker Instant Digital also backed this.
Leaker Setsuna Digital has now added their weight to the $50 price hike.
But with 256GB base storage for the iPhone 17 Pro
However, they have suggested that at least some iPhone 17 buyers might get something in return for the higher price.
In 2025, Pro will finally start at 256GB
Currently the iPhone 16 Pro starts at 128GB, with only the Pro Max model offering 256GB.
This could echo the move Apple made with the iPhone 15 lineup. With the Pro Max, the company eliminated the 128GB storage tier, effectively requiring everyone to buy what would have been the middle tier of 256GB at $1,199.
There’s no word on whether the Pro Max model would continue to start at 256GB, or whether that too would get a bump, taking it to 512GB. The smart money says no.
The new line-up
If all the reports are accurate, and including a separate report on iPhone 17 Air pricing, this would provide the following lineup:
- iPhone 17: $799
- iPhone 17 Pro (256GB): $1,049
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,249
- iPhone 17 Air: $949
As we noted last week, this would make the iPhone 17 Air a tough sell.
It remains to be seen how many people would be willing to pay a relatively high price for a modest spec just to get the slimmest model.
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