Apple price hikes are closer than we thought, starting with iPhone 17

By Monica J. White Published May 12, 2025

Apple might raise the prices of some of its best smartphones. We’ve been hearing about potential price hikes for a while now, but a new report tells us they might happen sooner than many of us might have thought. Curiously, Apple is said to avoid blaming tariffs — a common reason for price hikes in tech — for these adjustments. Here’s why.

The information comes from the Wall Street Journal. The publication reports that Apple is considering raising the prices of its fall lineup, which means the iPhone 17. This leak lines up with a few other ones of a similar nature that we’ve already seen, which is why the grim speculation is starting to feel an awful lot like reality, but of course, nothing’s confirmed until Apple itself says so.

Price hikes right now are nothing new, and many expect these increases due to the U.S. tariffs on China. Although the U.S. and China reportedly agreed to suspend most of the mutual tariffs, the WSJ reports that the 20% tariff on Chinese goods is still in place, and Apple’s products fall under that umbrella. A lot of the manufacturing still takes place in China, at least as far as the high-end models are concerned. President Trump has also exempted smartphones from a separate tariff, which is set to be lowered from 125% to 10% under the new agreement.

Despite the fact that tariffs might play a part in the price increases, Apple is reportedly citing other reasons. The Wall Street Journal says that the company plans to explain the price hikes with new features and design changes instead.

Apple also manufactures its iPhones in India, but the high-end models, such as the Pro and Pro Max, are said to continue being made in China, so the tariffs likely play a part. Apple is planning to move more of the iPhone production to India, but it’s a process that takes time to scale. However, the design changes are also true; Apple is said to be introducing the new slim version of the iPhone in its fall lineup, alongside some design changes to the rest of the models.

Ultimately, until Apple makes an announcement about possible price increases, everything is — at best — an educated guess. One thing is clear from the Wall Street Journal report, though: iPhones might cost more as early as this year, and that’s something to consider when upgrading your phone.