For the second year in a row, I’m surprised Apple hasn’t increased the prices of its newest iPhone models. The iPhone 14 did bring price hikes in Europe, which I felt since that’s where I live. But the iPhone 15 series actually lowered iPhone prices in Europe.
As for the US, the iPhone 15 prices stayed the same for one more year. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 instead of $1,099, which seems like an increase. But that’s for the 256GB version, which had the same price in previous years. Apple eliminated the 128GB tier, forcing you to spend more on the larger handset.
But, as always, Apple is keeping certain old iPhones in stock, discounting them by $100 now that the new iPhone series has arrived. If you’re shopping on a budget, you can purchase a cheaper iPhone model that’s still brand new. You can choose from iPhone SE 3, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus options.
In what follows, I’ll show you all the iPhone price tiers available in the US from Apple. These are the prices you pay before any sort of carrier deals, trade-ins, and other discounts are applied.
You can score better deals from some retailers and carriers, of course. And you might end up paying much less for a used or refurbished iPhone in good condition. Still, the point I’m making is that Apple offers you a brand-new phone for prices ranging between $429 all the way up to $1,599.
Apple retired the iPhone mini
The iPhone 13 mini was the only mini model you could have purchased ahead of Apple’s iPhone 15 event. That size is gone now, so the closest thing you can get from Apple is a new iPhone SE. Alternatively, you can look for iPhone 13 mini stock from Apple’s retail partners.
On the Plus side (pun intended), you can score a 6.7-inch iPhone for just $829. That’s not something that was possible before, as Apple never kept previous-gen iPhone Pro models in stock. Before the Plus model arrived, that would have been the only theoretical way to get a cheaper 6.7-inch iPhone. In practice, you had to search for old Pro Max stock from carriers and retailers.
The 64GB storage tier is almost gone
Apple didn’t introduce a new 2TB storage tier with the iPhone 15 Pro this year, as had been rumored. But now that the iPhone 12 is gone from the lineup, all iPhones with notch designs come with at least 128GB of storage. The iPhone SE 3, which has the classic iPhone 6 design, is the only model that still has a 64GB tier.
That’s great news for anyone looking to purchase a brand-new non-SE iPhone from Apple for a better price. That 128GB of base storage should be enough for most people.
You’re getting A15 Bionic performance or better
The iPhone 15 Pros feature the brand new A17 Pro chip that delivers impressive gaming capabilities, sure. But you don’t necessarily need the latest A-series processor for most things you do on an iPhone.
The good news is that, with the discontinuation of the iPhone 12 models, you’re getting either an A15 chip (iPhone SE 3, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus), an A16 chip (iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus) or the A17 Pro (iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max).
That translates to amazing performance, even if you pick the cheapest iPhone SE 3, which is priced at $429 before carrier deals.
From iPhone SE to iPhone 15 Pro Max: All price points explained
With all that in mind, I’ll point out the usual disclaimer. Apple advertises iPhone prices for non-SE, non-Pro phones in such a way as to score that sweet $X99 price spot that looks good in slides.
But there’s a catch there. Those are the prices you get after carrier deals are applied. Therefore, the prices for the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 models in the list below are $30 more expensive than what you see in the image above to reflect the true, unlocked prices.
Apple accurately displays only the iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 15 Pro prices, which do not benefit from $30 carrier savings.
iPhone SE
- 64GB iPhone SE: $429
- 128GB iPhone SE: $479
- 256GB iPhone SE: $579
iPhone 13
- 128GB iPhone 13: $629
- 256GB iPhone 13: $729
- 512GB iPhone 13: $929
iPhone 14
- 128GB iPhone 14: $729
- 256GB iPhone 14: $829
- 512GB iPhone 14: $1,029
iPhone 14 Plus
- 128GB iPhone 14 Plus: $829
- 256GB iPhone 14 Plus: $929
- 512GB iPhone 14 Plus: $1,129
iPhone 15
- 128GB iPhone 15: $829
- 256GB iPhone 15: $929
- 512GB iPhone 15: $1,129
iPhone 15 Plus
- 128GB iPhone 15 Plus: $929
- 256GB iPhone 15 Plus: $1,029
- 512GB iPhone 15 Plus: $1,229
iPhone 15 Pro
- 128GB iPhone 15 Pro: $999
- 256GB iPhone 15 Pro: $1,099
- 512GB iPhone 15 Pro: $1,299
- 1TB iPhone 15 Pro: $1,499
iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,199
- 512GB iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,399
- 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max: $1,599
Quick price comparison
Looking at the list above might make it difficult to choose a new iPhone, especially considering the similar price points between different devices. That’s where the following list should come in handy, as it’ll help you decide between a newer generation or more storage for an older model. Good luck choosing what to spend $929 on, however.
Of note, I’ve listed all of Apple’s new iPhone 15 models in bold.
$429: 64GB iPhone SE
$479: 128GB iPhone SE
$579: 256GB iPhone SE
$629: 128GB iPhone 13
$729: 256GB iPhone 13, 128GB iPhone 14
$829: 256GB iPhone 14, 128GB iPhone 14 Plus, 128GB iPhone 15
$929: 512GB iPhone 13, 256GB iPhone 14 Plus, 256 GB iPhone 15, 128GB iPhone 15 Plus
$999: 128GB iPhone 15 Pro
$1,029: 512GB iPhone 14, 256GB iPhone 15 Plus
$1,099: 256GB iPhone 15 Pro
$1,129: 512GB iPhone 14 Plus, 512GB iPhone 15
$1,199: 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max
$1,229: 512GB iPhone 15 Plus
$1,299: 512GB iPhone 15 Pro
$1,399: 512GB iPhone 15 Pro Max
$1,499: 1TB iPhone 15 Pro
$1,599: 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max
