The top-tier model in Apple’s upcoming 2023 line could be in for a considerable price jump. The iPhone 15 Pro Max could go up by as much as $200, according to an industry analyst.
While the iPhone 15 Pro will allegedly get its own price increase, the two “standard” ones will not.
Prepare for higher iPhone 15 Pro Max price
Apple handsets are sometimes criticized for high prices (usually by people silent on the $1,800 Samsung Z Fold 5), but actually the prices for these rarely go up. In the U.S., the top-of-the line iPhone has stayed steady at $1,099 since the iPhone 11 Pro Max debuted four years ago. And that was a price decrease — the earlier iPhone XS Max was $1,249.
But all good things must end, and Tim Long, an analyst with Barclays, predicts that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will increase by either $100 or $200, possibly bringing the cost to $1,299.
There have been previous prognostications of a price increase for this model, so the analyst isn’t really going out on a limb. Still, earlier predictions were less specific about the price jump.
Long also says the iPhone 15 Pro could go up $100 to $1,099.
But everything from the Barclays analyst isn’t bad news. He predicts that the basic iPhone 15 will stay at $799 and the iPhone 15 Plus will stay at $899.
If true, this would put the “standard” iPhone 15 at $400 less than the premier one. And the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus would be $300 less than the 6.8-inch iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Possible reasons for the change
For years, the basic iPhone was typically the best seller because the Pro models didn’t offer additional features that most buyers found compelling. That changed in 2022 with the iPhone 14 series. The new Pro cameras jumped from 12MP to 48MP, they have the Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and Apple reserved its newest processor for the top tier.
That will supposedly continue in 2023, with Apple adding even more Pro-only features. For example, both high-end iOS handsets will have slightly larger displays thanks to slimmer screen bezels.
And the premiere model will supposedly feature a periscope lens that bends incoming light before it reaches the sensor. The change would enable a stronger telephoto lens without increasing the size of the handset’s camera hump. No other 2023 model will get this, which might justify the significant price jump.
All the iPhone 15 version will allegedly have USB-C in place of the Lightning port, and more curved edges.
Via: Apple Hub
