iPhone 17 May Not Face Price Hikes After All Despite U.S. Tariffs

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Key Takeaways:

iPhone 17 Pricing Likely Steady: Most iPhone 17 models are expected to maintain last year’s prices, with only slight adjustments for certain variants, reflecting Apple’s strategy to avoid price hikes amid tariffs.
Price Changes Explained by Storage Upgrades: The apparent price increase for the iPhone 17 Pro is due to dropping the 128GB option, now starting at 256GB, offering more storage without a higher price.
Uncertain Pricing for iPhone 17 Air: The new iPhone 17 Air’s price may range from $899 to $949, with some speculation it might even be priced lower to qualify for subsidies in markets like China.
Tariffs Won’t Significantly Impact iPhone Prices: Thanks to recent tariff exemptions, especially on semiconductors, Apple is unlikely to raise iPhone 17 prices due to tariffs, keeping prices similar to last year.
Upcoming Apple Event on September 9: Apple is expected to officially unveil the iPhone 17 lineup at its ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9, with industry anticipation high.

For months, many expected Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup to come with higher price tags, especially with tariffs threatening to push costs up. But new analyst notes suggest Apple might keep things steady, defying predictions of across-the-board hikes. If these reports are right, most buyers could be paying the same as last year, with only one model seeing a shift and even that’s not an actual price jump.

What Analysts Are Predicting

JPMorgan’s latest research note projects the following starting prices for the iPhone 17 family:

iPhone 17 – $799 (no change)
iPhone 17 Air – $899 to $949 (uncertain, may see a $50 bump)
iPhone 17 Pro – $1,099 (appears higher, but with double the storage)
iPhone 17 Pro Max – $1,199 (no change)

The standout here is the iPhone 17 Pro. At first glance, its $1,099 price looks like a $100 increase, but it actually lines up with Apple dropping the 128GB option. Instead, the Pro will reportedly start at 256GB, so buyers get more storage without paying more than last year’s 256GB tier.

The iPhone 17 Air is replacing the iPhone 16 Plus with a slimmer design, and its price is the biggest unknown. Analysts suggest Apple could keep it at $899 or push it to $949 to reflect the new form factor. There’s also speculation that Apple could go lower, around $800, if it wants the model to qualify for government subsidies in China, which apply to smartphones under CNY 6,000 (roughly $840).

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Tariffs Not a Major Threat

Earlier this year, there were fears that new U.S. tariffs could force Apple to raise iPhone prices by as much as 5%. But exemptions granted in August, especially on semiconductors, appear to shield Apple from those extra costs. JPMorgan now believes tariffs won’t directly affect the iPhone 17 lineup’s pricing.

If these predictions hold, Apple fans may not have to pay more for the iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 16. The Pro model’s pricing shift is more about simplifying storage tiers than raising costs, and the Air’s final price could still surprise in either direction. With Google keeping its Pixel 10 prices steady, Apple sticking to its existing strategy would keep the competition tight.

All eyes are now on September 9, when Apple makes it official at its “Awe Dropping” event.

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