Brace yourself! Here's why the iPhone 17 will probably see the first price rise since the iPhone 12

We're only about three weeks away from the iPhone 17 launch. Traditionally, price is one of the last nuggets of information to leak, and while Apple is pretty good at keeping its marketing materials under wraps until the big reveal, there's enough information to make a reasonable prediction.

Spoiler: it's not good news.

We're most probably looking at a price rise, which would be the first significant one for an iPhone – not including the SE range – since the iPhone 12. Here's why.

Raising the barrier to entry

Rumours are, of course, far from gospel. We've seen some wildly inaccurate ones over the years. But when a lot of them say the same thing, including some reputable sources with a good track record of being on the money, it's worth taking note.

That's what's happening now. While the list of those predicting a price rise does include some randoms on Weibo, it also encompasses market analysts like Counterpoint Research, accurate leakers like Instant Digital and established media like the The Wall Street Journal.

The most common one regarding price is that Apple will drop the 128GB model of iPhone Pro, starting the 17 Pro at 256GB. This would raise the starting price to £1099 / $1099 / AU$1999.

While not technically a price rise – you would pay the same for a 256GB iPhone 16 Pro today – it would still raise the barrier to entry.

Apple has previous with this. It did the same with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. So such a move seems likely for the iPhone 17 Pro. After all, who's buying a 128GB phone nowadays, especially one as well-specced as a Pro Max? Even with cloud storage, 128GB really is a paltry amount.

But there's potentially bad news for even those considering a non-Pro model of iPhone. Another rumour posits a $50 price rise across the range. Which would be the first 'proper' price rise since the iPhone 12 in 2020.

Brace yourselves, as we can see this coming to pass.

All rise?

It's worth noting that while the core iPhone range hasn't really increased in price since the iPhone 12, Apple is by no means a stranger to price rises.

Last year's iPad Pro M4 launched at £50 / $200 / AU$200 more than the model it replaced, though it did add an OLED screen. Prices for Apple's AirPods have stayed in line in recent years, but the price of Apple's more affordable iPhones have crept up.

The first iPhone SE launched in 2016 at £399 / $399, which stayed the same for the second-gen model in 2020. This increased to £429 / $429 for the third-gen SE in 2022. But this year's iPhone 16e raised it to £599 / $599 / AU$999.

That's hardly budget by most standards. But then with the levels of inflation we've seen in recent years, the definition of 'budget' has changed. Everything has become more expensive. Really, it's amazing we've not seen a similar increase to the core iPhone range.

2020 was a long time ago, after all. Boris Johnson was Prime Minister, Netflix's Tiger King was the talk of the town, and everyone was struggling to adjust to the 'new normal'. It was like a different world.

Apple is also rumoured to introduce a new iPhone 17 Air model in September. Any change to the existing lineup will come with significant research and development costs, which again, suggests a price rise is on the cards.

Certain of uncertainty

Then there's the shadow of US tariffs that loom large over any discussion of price.

To say the situation is a little confusing would be understating it. Apple has recently invested over $500 billion into the US in a bid to avoid tariffs. CEO Tim Cook even presented President Trump with a little statue.

Even if the plan works and Apple doesn't have to pay the tariffs, it's unlikely to just suck up that hit of a half billion dollars. Sonos recently announced it would rise prices on some products later this year, due to tariffs hitting its production hubs of Vietnam and Malaysia. So all tech companies are feeling the effects.

But with tariffs being repeatedly paused and changed, the only certainty businesses have is uncertainty. Which is something they really don't like.

Prepare to pay more

It's been a good run. The fact that the base level iPhone has remained at £799 / $799 since the days of Bad Boys For Life lighting up the box office is really quite staggering.

But all the signs are there. Global economic turmoil, price rises elsewhere, plus Apple's own recent product history all point to the iPhone 17 costing more than its predecessor.

We'll find out for sure next month.

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