How Much Will The iPhone 17 Cost?
Apple will host its annual iPhone launch event next Tuesday, and the iPhone 17 series will likely be available for preorder three days later, on the first Friday after the event. In anticipation, iPhone users looking to upgrade to one of the four iPhone 17 models Apple is about to unveil will be wondering how much the new handsets will cost, especially in the U.S., where tariffs forced some companies to raise prices this year.
It has been rumored that Apple will increase iPhone prices for a few years, but the only price change the company made concerns the iPhone Pro Max model. Apple removed the 128GB storage tier from the iPhone 15 Pro Max lineup in 2023. Thus, the $1,099 starting price was gone from the iPhone Pro Max series, with the cheapest model being the 256GB version that cost $1,199.
Reports earlier this year claimed Apple wanted to raise prices for the iPhone 17 series, but worried that consumers would tie the price hike to Trump's tariffs. While Apple had to pay its own share of tariffs this year, the tax did not impact its iPhones. Optics aside, some analysts predicted that Apple would give some of the iPhone 17 models a price hike of at least $50. More recently, Apple announced the American Manufacturing Program (AMP) and an extra $100 billion investment in the U.S. economy. That move is believed to have been enough for Apple to ensure the iPhone 17 is exempt from the latest round of tariffs. Even so, a price increase for at least some iPhone 17 models seems inevitable.
The best-case scenario for the iPhone 17 price
The iPhone 17 series will feature four models: the standard iPhone 17, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. They're the direct successors of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The iPhone 17 Air is technically a brand-new device, rumored to feature a 6.6-inch screen and a thickness of just 5.5 mm. Nevertheless, the iPhone 17 Air replaces the iPhone 16 Plus version.
The best-case scenario for iPhone 17 buyers would be for Apple to maintain the iPhone 16 starting prices for one more year. Here's how much the iPhone 17 series would cost in this case:
- 128GB iPhone 17: $799
- 128GB iPhone 17 Air: $899
- 128GB iPhone 17 Pro: $999
- 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,199
This scenario is valid if Apple's rumored iPhone 17 manufacturing cost optimizations work and if the company decides not to pass any tariff-related fees on to buyers. Also, a version of this best-case scenario might be seen in some international markets where Apple wouldn't have to worry about paying extra taxes on imported goods.
Finally, the standard iPhone 17 model might be a best-case scenario on its own. Most price hike estimates from analysts say the cheapest iPhone 17 model will not see a price increase this year. Buyers looking for the most affordable new iPhone this September might pay $799 for the 128GB iPhone 17, the same price Apple used for many of its predecessors.
The $50 price hike
If Apple can't apply the iPhone 16 price structure to the new iPhone 17 models, we might be looking at a minimal price increase. Most recent rumors indicate that Apple might go for a $50 price hike for the Pro models. The standard iPhone 17 model would not be impacted in this scenario. Also, it's likely the brand-new iPhone 17 Air would be slightly more expensive than the iPhone 16 Plus it replaces. Here's what the price structure could look like:
- 128GB iPhone 17: $799
- 128GB iPhone 17 Air: $949
- 256GB iPhone 17 Pro: $1,049
- 256GB iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,249
If this scenario plays out, Apple is expected to increase the storage for the cheapest iPhone 17 Pro model. But a starting price of $1,049 would actually translate to a sort of discount for iPhone 17 Pro buyers. They'd get double the storage for just $50 extra. The 256GB iPhone 16 Pro costs $1,099 at the time of this writing.
If Apple raises the prices of some iPhone 17 models in the U.S., it's likely international buyers will also see similar price hikes. A uniform price increase would allow Apple to make up for tariffs paid on other goods. All of this is speculation based on the iPhone 17 price rumors we've seen so far this year. Apple will announce the official iPhone 17 prices on September 9.