The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been tipped for some nasty price increases, and to make matters worse, another source is claiming that the iPhone 15 series overall could be in shorter supply than expected.
We begin with an investor note from Barclays analyst Tim Long (via MacRumors), who believes that Apple could be adding $100 to $200 on top of what users already paid for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max for their iPhone 15 Pro successors. Up to now, Apple's Pro-grade iPhones all started at $999 or $1,099 for the Pro and Pro Max models respectively, although other markets (including the U.K.) saw a small price increase last year.
Arguably the upgrades these models are expected to get could be worth the extra money. The Pro Max sounds particularly enticing because of its alleged periscope zoom camera,
But both Pro models should see a new A17 chipset, a titanium frame, a USB-C charging port, thinner bezels and a new customizable action button in place of the usual iPhone mute switch. But when you see how competitive the best phones landscape is, users may begin to wonder if their money for a new phone may be better off spent on an Android phone.
iPhone 15 shipments not as high as expected
Elsewhere in the world of iPhone rumors, Bloomberg's sources are claiming that Apple's preparing to ship around 85 million iPhone 15 units. That's an enormous number for most of us, but what it represents compared to previous years puts it into context.
85 million units is around the same amount of iPhone 14s that Apple made last year, which is arguably a sign of confidence that Apple can still ship phones despite the cost of living crisis. However, it also represents failed attempts to ramp up Apple's output.
An intended increase in basic iPhone 15s built apparently got stymied by problems making enough camera sensors. Meanwhile, the more general disruptions caused by chip shortages and Covid lockdowns have meant Apple's overall order increase targets still have yet to happen.
Despite this, the Bloomberg report also says Apple will still see increased profit from the iPhone 15 series thanks to the predicted price increases on the Pro models, and the increasing number of users going for premium handsets over cheaper ones.
Apple should be showing off the iPhone 15 series at the Apple September event, although there have been rumors of delays. Hopefully, despite the production troubles it's been going through, there will still be enough iPhones at the right prices that users interested in the new upgrades can get their hands on one.
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