Apple reportedly plans to increase prices for its upcoming line of iPhones slated to debut this fall, according to sources familiar with the company’s strategy. The decision, the sources said, is part of Apple’s broader effort to offset rising manufacturing costs due largely to U.S. tariffs on imports from China. However, to distance itself from the ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions publicly, Apple is discussing internally how to frame the price increase around new features, improvements in design, or enhancements to performance rather than linking it directly to tariff pressures.
Recent estimates indicate that Apple’s costs from increased U.S. tariffs could reach approximately $900 million in its fiscal third quarter alone. Thus far, Apple executives have refrained from officially attributing potential price hikes to the trade war, despite significant speculation and analysis from industry watchers. Additionally, the company has progressively lowered its dependence on China by ramping up imports of iPhones manufactured in India, in an apparent bid to mitigate tariff impacts.
Earlier this week, tensions showed signs of easing, as U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to temporarily pause reciprocal tariffs for a 90-day period, a move intended to foster continued negotiations. This follows a recent announcement by the Trump administration granting notable tariff exemptions to certain technology products, including smartphones, laptops, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, though some tariffs remain in effect.
Apple’s lineup this year is expected to include an innovative, ultra-thin iPhone design. However, observers suggest more ambitious plans are also in development for future models. Bloomberg has indicated that Apple intends to release a radically redesigned, mostly glass-bodied iPhone—entirely without cutouts or visible disruptions—by 2027 in celebration of the device’s 20th anniversary. This projected redesign would echo the significant change Apple undertook in 2017 with the introduction of the iPhone X, marking the smartphone’s 10th anniversary.
