The iPhone 17's Current Price Might Look Like A Great Deal Soon

Apple is expected to soon reveal the 2026 iPhone lineup, assumed to be the iPhone 18 series. Unlike other years, rumors suggest that the company will only reveal the iPhone 18 Pro models and an all-new foldable iPhone in September. Then, in early 2027, it will allegedly unveil the rest of the iPhone 18 series, alongside a second-generation iPhone Air and the iPhone 18e. That means by September, the iPhone lineup could consist of the iPhone 17e, the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air, the new iPhone 18 Pro models, and the iPhone Fold. However, not only is Apple expected to raise prices for the new iPhone models, but the current iPhone 17 may get more expensive as well. That means that today's price may soon look like a great deal.

The latest voice to corroborate these price increases is Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said in his latest Power On newsletter that following Mac and iPad price hikes of around 23% on average, a price increase for the new iPhone models remains inevitable. While some sources suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro models could cost almost 40% more for Apple to produce, Bloomberg says that Apple has been watching how its competitors respond to higher component costs. Samsung and Google recently raised their premium phones' prices by $100. If Apple follows the trend, the iPhone 18 Pro could start at $1,199, up from $1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro. There's also the possibility that Apple upgrades the base iPhone Pro models to 512GB of storage to charge more.

Apple recently raised the prices for Macs and iPads worldwide, but didn't change iPhone and Apple Watch prices. Getting an iPhone 17 now sounds like the best deal, not only because it still costs the same price but also because Apple recently raised trade-in values, making old phones more valuable. Another tactic the company has been using to ensure customers don't feel this upcoming price increase is the new Upgrade program, a leasing offering directly from Apple. For the current iPhone generation, it can start as low as $17.99/month for the iPhone 17e in a 24-month contract.

Compared to the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17 features several important upgrades, including longer battery life, a new camera system, a 18MP selfie camera with an innovative square sensor, an Always-On Display, and ProMotion. Even though the base model iPhone 17 doesn't include the camera plateau, it is closer to the Pro models than ever, which may be why it remains the world's best-selling smartphone.

If you're on the verge of buying an iPhone, but you thought that waiting for the new generation would mean you get a better deal, you should think twice. With even the iPhone 17 expected to get a price increase, this would mean that you may be paying more for that phone than you would today today. If that's not enough, after Apple unveils the new iPhone generation, it usually changes the trade-in values for what become the older models. That is to say, the iPhone 17 range will now be the most valuable trade-in model, while older iPhones lose value.

Something else you should keep in mind is that if Apple changes the schedule of its iPhone releases as rumors suggest, it may push the iPhone 18 closer to the iPhone 18e to avoid even bigger price increases. Apple is rumored to use a cheaper display technology in the upcoming iPhone 18, and include an A20 processor with fewer cores than usual.

While Apple's plans will only be completely revealed by the time the full iPhone 18 lineup has been released by early 2027, it's possible that some users might not want to wait to see another price increase to then decide to upgrade to an iPhone released in 2025.