With Apple’s Wonderlust event just around the corner, The Wall Street Journal expects some iPhone 15 models to get up to a $100 price increase as Cupertino tests limits for how much it can charge users for premium models.
According to the publication, Apple is “expected by analysts to raise prices by as much as $100 for some updated models of its flagship device.” As BGR heard over this year from several firms, Cupertino was considering raising iPhone 15 Pro prices due to a newer titanium chassis, ultra-thin bezels, a powerful processor, and camera upgrades.
Although these changes might sound enticing for some iPhone hardcore users, Josh Lowitz, a co-founder of CIRP, told WSJ that the iPhone “Pros have probably reached their saturation point.” He adds: “I don’t think there are a ton of new iPhone Pro customers.”
To corroborate this quote, the publication reports that for the first time since 2017, the average selling price of iPhones in the US declined to $949 in the June quarter, which is lower than the same period last year and in the March quarter.
Another analyst heard by the publication says that the upcoming switch from Lightning to USB-C might actually make customers wait instead of upgrading to the latest tech. “People aren’t going to upgrade for the sake of upgrading because they’d have to change over their cables everywhere,” said UBS analyst David Vogt. “Maybe that causes people to wait a little bit.”
As Apple aims to recover from the global smartphone market crisis, which is affecting all manufacturers, the company is betting that its hardcore users are the ones that will drive revenue by purchasing more expensive models.
Some analysts have said that Apple is about to start a new sales supercycle as iPhone 12 users who upgraded their phones to get a 5G connection are ready to spend again on a new iPhone after three years of waiting.
For these iPhone owners, indeed, the iPhone 15 models will bring a new design, faster chips, lots of camera improvements, and even a more generous battery capacity.
BGR will keep you posted on the latest iPhone 15 news, and we’ll report back as soon as we learn more about this phone.
