The price of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will jump by at least $100, if an unconfirmed report coming out of Asia is correct. The increase could go as high as $200.
This is the latest in a series of predictions that the cost of the two top-tier iPhones coming this autumn will increase.
Prepare for higher iPhone 15 Pro prices
iPhone markups are surprisingly rare. In the United States, 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 cost $1,249.
But that streak is apparently about to end. Digitimes reports that the cost of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will increase by a minimum of $100 over the 2022 models. “Prices for the impending Pro and Max models will increase by between US$100 and US$200,” it says.
Previously, an analyst with Barclays predicted that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will increase by either $100 or $200, and the Pro model will go up $100. And there were less-specific predictions of price increases before then.
Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099.
The non-Pro iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are currently not expected to go up in price versus their predecessors. If true, they’ll have $799 and $899 starting prices, respectively.
Pricier iPhone 15 Pro features
For years, the basic iPhone was typically the bestseller 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. The Pro models swapped in the innovative Dynamic Island for the screen cutout known as the notch. And Apple reserved its newest processor for the high-end models.
That sort of feature imbalance likely will continue in 2023, with Apple adding even more Pro-only features. For example, both high-end iOS handsets reportedly will come with slightly larger displays thanks to slimmer screen bezels.
And the premier model supposedly will feature a periscope lens that bends incoming light before it reaches the camera sensor. That 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 versions reportedly will come with the Dynamic Island, USB-C in place of the Lightning port, and a design featuring curvier edges.
