According to a new report by tech analyst Jeff Pu, Apple is planning to raise the prices of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max globally due to hardware upgrades, including a new titanium chassis, solid-state volume and mute buttons, the powerful A17 chip, increased RAM, and a periscope zoom lens.
The price increase, which could be as much as $200 each assuming the same storage options, would result in the iPhone 15 Pro costing $1,199 (128GB), $1,299 (256GB), $1,499 (512GB), and $1,699 (1TB), while the iPhone 15 Ultra would cost $1,299 (128GB), $1,399 (256GB), $1,599 (512GB), and $1,799 (1TB).
However, this could help standard models look more affordable, particularly the iPhone 15 Plus, which would become the only relatively affordable big-screen iPhone.
The reason behind this price increase is due to carrier contracts, as most iPhones are sold on contract and a $200 price increase, while a shock for buyers, would be relatively easy to swallow when spread over a 2-3 year contract.
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Furthermore, it could also help standard models look more affordable, bridging the gap of $400 with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. However, the price increase could be smaller, and $200 is just the maximum number mentioned.
Inflation, customer demand, and long-delayed hikes in the US market are some of the reasons Apple is considering breaking its pattern of limiting price increases to a maximum of $100 unless the company is moving the needle with a new storage tier or brand new line.
This is because the demand for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models caught the company by surprise, and the price points are now seen as too low when spread across multi-year carrier contracts, leading to the cannibalization of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus sales.
One of the new features of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models is the solid-state volume and mute buttons, which will be completely flat. While a single elongated volume button can be pressed at either end to raise and lower the volume, physical buttons allowed users to adjust the volume unsighted.
The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, on the other hand, will retain the physical volume buttons and mute switch seen on iPhones since 2007. The critical factor in the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max switch will be implementation, and Apple is known for its smart integration of new features.
The use of solid-state buttons will likely increase the phones’ water resistance and durability as they have no moving parts, reducing gaps for water ingress and breakages over time or if the phones are dropped.