There is growing speculation that Apple could raise prices on its iPhone 17 lineup as soon as this month, following CEO Tim Cook’s recent comments about “inevitable” price increases.
Last week, Cook said The Wall Street Journal that Apple is no longer able to absorb the increasing cost of memory and storage chips, both of which are in high demand by AI and neocloud companies. Cook compared the lack of memory to a 100-year flood. “I haven’t seen anything like this in any area in over 40 years,” he said.
Several companies have already increased their prices, including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony and Dell. Apple is now expected to follow suit. BloombergMark Gurman of , believes that the timing of Cook’s comments likely indicates that price hikes are “imminent.” Gurman also linked potential price hikes to Apple’s back-to-school sale, which is expected to be announced imminently. He thinks Apple could tie the two things together as a “buffer.”
Apple holds a back-to-school sale every June, offering teachers and students free accessories or gift cards when they purchase a Mac or iPad. The added bonus is on top of Apple’s educational discount. The back to school sale typically takes place around WWDC, and in three of the last five years it has started 8-10 days after the WWDC keynote. This could mean we see it announced as soon as this week.
Regardless, Gurman believes that price increases “are not about falling.” In other words, they will not be introduced when the new iPhone 18 Pro models launch. The price of Apple’s existing smartphone could increase by then, as Chinese supply chain leaker Ice Universe also suggested over the weekend.
Current Apple iPhone prices are as follows:
- iPhone 17e: starting at $599
- iPhone 17: starting at $799
- iPhone Air: starting at $999
- iPhone 17 Pro: starting at $1,099
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: starting at $1,199
In the meantime, The Wall Street Journal released its own analysis estimating that the iPhone 18 Pro could start as high as $1,399.
iPad and Mac prices may also increase in the near future.
