Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro are getting more expensive, and now we might know exactly why.
According to a new report issued by Digitimsthe “[iPhone 15] The Pro series will likely suffer a significant price hike due to case upgrades from stainless steel to titanium and an upgrade of the periscope lens, which is only for the Pro Max, to perform at 5-6x optical zoom.
In previous reports, titanium has been cited as a significant cost increase for Apple, but with claims that the price of the iPhone 15 Pro will not rise, it appears that this will not be passed on to end users. Add to that the cost of Apple’s first 10x optical zoom camera, and this is in line with claims that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could rise by as much as $200, becoming the most expensive iPhone ever released.
As such, the iPhone 15 lineup could be priced as follows:
- iPhone 15: Starting at $799 (unchanged)
- iPhone 15 Plus: Starting at $899 (unchanged)
- iPhone 15 Pro: Starting at $1,099 ($100 increase)
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Starting at $1,299 ($200 increase)
Speculation has mounted that elements such as the titanium case, which, although stronger and lighter than stainless steel, is not essential to the phone and is being incorporated specifically because Apple wants to widen the gap between the Pro and non-Pro iPhones.
Why? For most of the iPhone 14’s lifecycle, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max outsold the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. That’s because the iPhone 14 Plus costs just $100 less than the iPhone 14 Pro, a difference that pales in comparison to the average two-year carrier contract.
Since Apple has similar profit margins across all iPhone models, it prefers to balance demand to benefit its supply chain. With the new prices, the iPhone 15 Pro will cost $300 more than the iPhone 15, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost $400 more than the iPhone 14 Plus.
Even if these numbers were spread across a long carrier contract, they would be enough of a difference to make upgraders think twice. Meanwhile, Apple could increase the average selling price of its iPhones from the Pro increments, just as the rest of the smartphone market struggles with its own. Biggest drop ever.
So what are the differences, and is it worth paying for? You’ll have to wait for reviews to answer the second part of that question, but, as has become usual in recent years, the standard iPhone 15 models will essentially be new versions of the iPhone 14 Pro at lower prices. This means an A16 chip, a Dynamic Island design, and a 48-megapixel camera.
In contrast, Apple is going all out with the iPhone 15 Pros: standard bezels, new body materials, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, the first 3nm smartphone chip in the A17, and the Pro Max’s aforementioned periscope zoom camera. Battery life should also get a big boost.
Yes, it’s the perfect Apple trap: The starting prices for the set are reasonable, but spend a little more and you’ll get it Much more…
More on Forbes
“Unapologetic communicator. Wannabe web lover. Friendly travel scholar. Problem solver. Amateur social mediaholic.”