For the first time since the iPhone X release in 2017, Apple could be planning to increase the cost of its Pro phones with the iPhone 15 Pro models. The information comes from a note written by Jeff Pu (via MacRumors), a tech analyst at Haitong International Securities.
According to the note, the price increase would be due to several hardware upgrades, which rumors so far will include a titanium frame, solid-state buttons with haptic feedback, the A17 Bionic chip, increased RAM, and a periscope lens for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
These features, summed with inflation, would make Apple raise prices in the US for the first time since the company unveiled a $999 iPhone. This wouldn’t come out of anywhere, as even the entry-level iPhone SE 3 got a $30 price increase due to 5G and the A15 Bionic chip last year.
In January, BGR covered a rumor posted on Weibo saying Apple would “increase the price of this year’s iPhone 15 Pro series, further widening the gap with the Plus mode, leaving enough market space abruptly.”
At the time, this unverified leaker also wrote that a few features already reported by BGR and other media outlets regarding the next generation of iPhone will also be available, such as the regular models with the Dynamic Island cutout and a 48MP main camera sensor as standard.
While these changes could be worth $100 more, regular customers would find a regular iPhone 15 model more appealing with a new design and better camera system, even if Apple still doesn’t add a telephoto lens, ProMotion, or Always-On display.
Since the iPhone 14 Pro is only $100 more expensive than the iPhone 14 Plus, it’s understandable why people prefer to jump for a complete smartphone rather than choose a bigger phone with fewer features.
That said, we’re still six months away from Apple unveiling the next generation of iPhones.
