Expectations of a price hike on Apple products are stronger than ever. It all officially began when Tim Cook admitted that absorbing the tariff issue could cost his company an approximate figure of 900 million dollars, just in the current quarter. Although Tim himself has denied a possible price increase for future iPhone 17s, a new report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that this will be the case, although there will be a small detail that will suggest not reporting the reason for the increase.
No matter what special exemptions Apple has under the Trump administration, it will face 20% tariffs for relying on China.
Despite the aggressive tariff increases the United States imposed on China and other countries around the world, the reality is that there was considerable awareness about the tariffs. Fortunately for many companies that do business in China and depend on imports while in the United States, both governments have already agreed to a “truce,” although the 20% tariff imposed in March remains in effect .
Tim Cook likely used this last percentage to arrive at the approximate cost of 900 million, but what Tim may not have told us is that his cost also includes the numerous iPhone 17s that will be released from China. A good portion of India’s iPhone production goes directly to the United States to address part of the tariff issue.
The iPhone 17 price increase is imminent, but Apple won’t blame tariffs.
The Wall Street Journal report notes that Apple is already considering price increases for the iPhone 17, although it will do so in a measured manner, since it will not indicate how this relates to the tariffs. It will do so by comparing “new features and design changes” and seeking savings from its suppliers. It will try to avoid any cases where prices are seen to have been increased due to the tariffs. This is only because the Donald Trump administration could directly attack those in Cupertino.
An example of this was provided by Amazon in April, when it planned to break down its prices to highlight the tariff-related increases. The White House did not take kindly to the idea, calling it a “hostile act.” Jeff Bezos himself indicated that it was “an internal idea” that would not be implemented.
What’s somewhat strange is that the report doesn’t show, beyond supply chains, a possible internal source for Apple’s prices. It could have been based on simple speculation, given Tim Cook’s statements and demonstrations, coupled with current knowledge of the tariff controversies. How much could the price of the iPhone 17 increase in September? The United States is the country that will feel the increase the most, as it is one of the countries where prices have been sold the cheapest.
