There is growing speculation that Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices when the iPhone 18 Pro models arrive in September, a possibility amplified by CEO Tim Cook’s recent comment that price increases are “unavoidable.”
Why iPhone 17 prices could rise
Cook said in late June that Apple can no longer absorb higher costs for memory and storage chips, which are in strong demand from AI and neocloud companies building more data centers. He likened the resulting memory shortages to “a hundred-year flood” and said, “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.”
The scale of AI infrastructure buildouts has tightened supply across the semiconductor industry. Multiple companies—including Samsung, Microsoft, Sony and Dell—have already raised their prices, and Apple has increased prices across its Mac and iPad ranges as well as the Apple TV, HomePods and Vision Pro.
Analytics firm TrendForce has suggested Apple could revisit pricing for the iPhone 17 series and lift prices when the new generation ships, as a way to partially offset rising memory costs.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable iPhone at a September 9 event, and the iPhone 17 lineup is likely to remain (at least partially) available as a relatively cheaper option.
Current Apple iPhone retail prices listed by model are:
– iPhone 17e: from $599
– iPhone 17: from $799
– iPhone Air: from $999
– iPhone 17 Pro: from $1,099
– iPhone 17 Pro Max: from $1,199
A separate published analysis estimates the iPhone 18 Pro could start as high as $1,399.
