Apple is considering making the iPhone 15 Pro more expensive
Apple is reportedly looking to keep iPhone shipments steady year-over-year, and is looking to increase its revenue by raising the price of the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Render of the iPhone 15 Pro by AppleInsider
Before the COVID pandemic and then during chip supply problems in China, Apple had been tending to produce 90 million iPhones annually. For each of the last two tumultuous years, it has been ordering around 85 million, and now Bloomberg says that's the new target for 2023 too.
Unspecified sources said to be familiar with the plans also say that Apple is looking to increase its revenue from iPhone sales by raising the price of the Pro models. This backs up recent rumors that have suggested the iPhone 15 Pro Max may be the most expensive iPhone ever.
The sources said that the mix of iPhone orders has changed slightly, with Apple deciding to make 2 million fewer of its lowest-cost forthcoming model. That's presumably the base iPhone 15, and the cut is reportedly related to production difficulties with its CMOS sensor.
There is also said to be a small issue with new displays for the iPhone 15 Pro, as recently reported. However, Bloomberg says that these issues are expected to be resolved quickly, and not have an impact on the final shipping volumes or dates.
Apple is also said to be increasing its order for the iPhone 15 Pro models to compensate for the reduction in the base model orders.
At the 2022 launch of the iPhone 14 range, Apple made a point of saying publicly that it was keeping the prices the same as for the previous year's iPhone 13 range. However, that was only true for the US and China, as everywhere else has now seen significant price increases.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Electronics, should drastically improve quality and drop price.
This is ridiculous. Don't think I will get one.
The top computer model in 1991 was the IIfx with the 68040 processor. With 32K of memory, a 80 MB internal hard drive, dual floppy drives and a top model video card with a 21" color Radeon monitor, the price was over $10,000 in 1991 dollars. My M1 MacStudio Ultra with 128GB of ram and a 8TB SSD coupled with two Studio displays cost just under $10,000 2022 dollars.
That $1.00 in 1991 would have the purchase power of $2.24 today.
So Apple has held the US price steady for the top model iPhones of several years while we just went through lots of inflation. Even a 5% increase in price would be in line with inflation for the last three or four years.
Apple is a business responsible to the shareholders, not the customers. There are many USA folks that consider their iPhone a necessity and are willing g to pay for the best model. Those not flush with cash have access to the non-pro models or the top models for several years past that get a "new" warranty when purchased.
The potential customer's ability to pay is not Apple's responsibility. If the price it too high, the sales of the top models will falter. History shows the best sellers are the two top models every year.
By the way, have Apple’s operating, material, supplier, personnel, etc., costs remained steady, much less gone down, since the start of the pandemic? Has anyone’s costs on anything gone down in the past year? What would Apple’s business be any different?
Also, keep in mind that there is less price sensitivity on higher end products. If Apple can raise prices on its most expensive products by a small relative percentage it gives them more flexibility on minimizing or holding the line on lower cost product versions, like the base level and SE lines.
Why does common sense suddenly fly out the window and conspiracies blossom whenever Apple is doing the same exact things that every other well-run business does? Maybe if some of these “unnamed sources” step out into the light and identify themselves we’d be able to engage with them honestly and release them from their single tracked and highly flawed ways of applying simple logic. They need to quit hiding behind their irrational conspiracies.
You're welcome.
I now return you to the fact-free stupidity of “Apple keeps raising its prices through the roof.”
As keen as I am to always have the latest all-singing & dancing iPhone held in my hot little hands, even for me Apple is rapidly approaching the point price wise when I’ll have to decide to stick with the iteration of iPhone that I currently have until Apple stops “supporting” it. A great amount of the use I put my i14 Pro Max to is using its fantastic camera capabilities. If the much repeated and talked about “telescopic lens” does finally put in an appearance with the next generation of Pro Max then I’ll probably suck up the pain of paying even more than I did for my 14 Pro Max (a slightly tweaked appearance and possibly a titanium frame) would just sweeten the deal - but if it looks like the 15 Pro Max is just same old-same old then I’ll definitely be looking at replacing my Series 7 Apple Watch with the rumored new version of Apple Watch Ultra (I’ve held back from buying the current Ultra because even though the current version would definitely suit my lifestyle more than the Series 7 (I’m a scuba diver…) something told me to hang fire and wait to see what improvements come with the 2nd gen Ultra! So hurry up and arrive September so all the speculation can end and reality takes over.