The iPhone 17 is days away: Will it come with a price increase?
Over the years, Apple has kept the price increase of iPhones pretty modest. Sure, the first iPhone in 2007 was $499 and the base model of the 2024 iPhone 16 was $799. But that was mostly due to normal inflation.
This year, however, there's a new factor that could affect iPhone 17 prices — tariffs. Ever since President Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs policy kicked in, the tech world has been on a roller coaster ride, with all eyes on Apple. The iPhone is mostly manufactured in China and India, where Trump has levied some of the highest tariffs, making Apple users wonder if the cost of the upcoming iPhone 17 will skyrocket.
They're right to worry.
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President Trump has called out both the iPhone and Apple CEO Tim Cook by name over the company's overseas manufacturing. At one point, Trump threatened Apple with an individual 25 percent tariff rate unless it started making iPhones in the United States.
Since then, Cook seemingly convinced Trump to make Apple exempt from the 100 percent semiconductor import tariff after Apple announced a $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing. To sweeten the deal, Cook even hand-delivered a gold and glass trophy for the president.
Uncertainty has been one of the principal effects of Trump's tariffs. Major companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have all raised prices this year due to "market conditions." So, with the iPhone 17 launch event days away, all eyes are once again on Apple.
Lets get down to brass tacks. How much will the iPhone 17 cost?
With Apple already sheltered from the major China tariffs and the recent thawing of tensions between Cook and Trump, Apple fans are hoping iPhone prices will stay the same.
However, the latest rumors point toward a minor price hike, though it may not be tariff-related after all.
Chinese leaker Instant Digital said the cost of the iPhone 17 Pro will go up by $50, but that's due to the increase of base storage, which now starts at 256GB instead of 128GB. An investor note from JP Morgan leaked to AppleInsider supports this rumor. The note also reportedly said the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Plus, and iPhone 17 Pro Max could even stay the same price as the iPhone 16 ($799), iPhone 16 Plus ($899), and iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199).
Overall, that's pretty good news for Apple customers.
What about the rumored iPhone 17 Air? JP Morgan analysts said the ultra-thin iPhone set to debut this year could cost between $899 and $949, which puts it around the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus, give or take $50.
If these predictions turn out to be true, Apple's iPhone 17 lineup will be largely shielded from tariff price hikes. Last month, Apple reported a surprisingly strong quarter, despite tariff threats.
It won't be long until we get the official prices. Apple's iPhone launch event will take place on Sept. 9, where we're expecting the full iPhone 17 lineup as well as new Apple Watches and maybe the next generation of AirPods Pro earbuds.
Cecily is a tech reporter at Mashable who covers AI, Apple, and emerging tech trends. Before getting her master's degree at Columbia Journalism School, she spent several years working with startups and social impact businesses for Unreasonable Group and B Lab. Before that, she co-founded a startup consulting business for emerging entrepreneurial hubs in South America, Europe, and Asia. You can find her on X at @cecily_mauran.
