Rumored iPhone 15 price rises echoed in supply chain report

Previous reports of iPhone 15 price rises are being echoed in a new supply chain report. As with earlier rumors, this one again suggests that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will cost $100 to $200 more than the iPhone 14 equivalents.

We would offer the same cautions as we did with the previous reports, however …

Rumored iPhone 15 price rises

Things kicked off last month when Bloomberg reported that a price rise for the two Pro models was being “considered.” No specific numbers were given but said that Apple didn’t expect demand to be affected by the higher prices.

Later in July, Barclays analyst Tim Long said in an investment note that the iPhone 15 Pro could start at $1,099, while iPhone 15 Pro Max pricing could open at $1,199 or even $1,299.

This would be a price increase of $100 for the iPhone 15 Pro, and either $100 or $200 for the Pro Max.

Digitimes echoes these numbers

Digitimes cites “industry sources” suggesting the same price rises.

According to the sources, prices for the impending Pro and Max models will increase by between US$100 and US$200.

Unlike Bloomberg, however, the site says that Apple is now expecting sales to be hit by the higher prices.

According to the sources, the upcoming iPhone series will ship approximately 77 million units in 2023, a decrease from the initial estimate of 83 million. 

9to5Mac’s Take

We’d again note that these reports are highly speculative in nature, and the latest one again seems to rely on supply chain sources. Apple suppliers can certainly give insight into likely new features, as well as increases in manufacturing costs, but only high-level Apple execs will have access to pricing plans.

It’s also telling that Digitimes hedges its numbers in exactly the same way Barclays did, suggesting that this is more of an educated guess than hard information.

That said, there’s certainly potential for the rumors to be true. There’s strong evidence that the two Pro models sold extremely well last year, compared to the base models, and Apple is not noted for leaving money on the table. If there is a price increase, then $100 would be a likely step.

An extra $200 for the Pro Max seems more of a stretch, putting the model in the $1,299 to $1,799 range, but it certainly can’t be ruled out.