Update: The rumored price hike for the iPhone 14 Pro may be offset by more default storage.
It's already widely accepted that the iPhone 14 Pro models will debut with higher prices than their iPhone 13 Pro equivalents. But those might not be the only new iPhones dues for a price hike in the fall.
The iPhone 14 could cost $100 more than the iPhone 13 when the new phone arrives. That's according to analysts who spoke to The Sun, a British newspaper.
Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities specifically points to a $100 increase for the iPhone 14, according to Phone Arena, which spotted the report. It's unclear whether that refers to the entire iPhone lineup, including Apple's 6.1-inch standard model or the Pro models specifically.
A price hike for the iPhone 14 Pro is a widely circulated rumor that's picked up momentum in recent weeks. In this scenario, the iPhone 14 Pro would start out at $1,099 while the iPhone 14 Pro Max would debut at $1,199. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max cost $999 and $1,099, respectively.
Part of the reason for that price upgrade is that the iPhone 14 Pro models are line to get significant improvements over the current models. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max may be the only new iPhones this fall to run on an A16 Bionic processor. (The other iPhone 14 models are rumored to be retaining an A15 chipset but with more installed RAM.) The iPhone 14 Pro models are also in line to get a boost to their main camera, and they could be the first Apple flagships since the iPhone X's 2017 arrival to ship without a notch.
But according to this report, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max may not escape higher prices either. The reason would be rising component costs — the prices of the parts used to make iPhones has gone up — and Apple may have to pass on the higher cost to consumers.
The report does suggest that higher prices for some iPhone models aren't an inevitability and that any price increase could be a relative one. Apple's expected to drop the mini from its iPhone lineup in the fall, which would make the iPhone 14 the entry-level model. (The larger iPhone 14 Max is expected to cost more than the standard iPhone 14.) If the iPhone 14 costs $799, it would cost the same as its iPhone 13 counterpart, though the starting price of the iPhone 14 lineup would be higher than the $699 that Apple charges for the iPhone 13 mini.
From our perspective, Apple would be taking a risk if it hikes the prices across the iPhone 14 lineup. The higher prices on the iPhone 14 Pro models might not faze consumers because of the much-improved feature set those phones are set to deliver. But a higher price on what sounds like more modest upgrades for the iPhone 14 might dim enthusiasm about this year's phones.
There's also the matter of the current iPhones that will remain in Apple's fall lineup after the iPhone 14's arrival. Apple traditionally keeps a few older phones around, dropping prices by $100 or so once the new models begin shipping. That could be the company's answer to rising phone costs this year.
For now, we'll keep an ear peeled for more reports on iPhone 14 price increases before we believe rumors of an across-the-board price hike. We should find out the iPhone 14's price soon enough, though — the iPhone 14 release date has been tipped for early September.
