iPhone 15 Series: Apple's Most Expensive Yet with Price Hike

According to foreign reports, Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 series, which is expected to be released as early as this fall, may see a price increase of $100 to $200, representing a 10% to 20% rise. The high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max will see a $200 price hike, with the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB model potentially reaching a staggering $1,800, making it the most expensive iPhone ever.

The market anticipates that the iPhone 15 series, with its significant specification upgrades, will trigger a wave of upgrades, coupled with the price increase of at least 10%, which will help improve the profitability of the supply chain. Companies like Foxconn, Pegatron, TSMC, and Largan Precision are expected to benefit from this in their second-half performance.

Apple typically unveils its annual new iPhone models at a product launch event in the fall. Due to factors such as rising costs and inflation, last year's high-end iPhone 14 saw price increases ranging from $80 to $172. This year's new models are also expected to face a price hike, potentially reaching up to $200, marking the most significant price increase ever. Apple enthusiasts looking to upgrade may have to pay a higher price.

Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, stated in an interview with Barron's that he expects Apple to increase the prices of the iPhone 15 series this year. He accurately predicted last year's international price increase for the iPhone 14, while the prices in the United States and mainland China remained unchanged. However, he cannot definitively say whether countries that saw price increases last year will experience the same this year.

Ives explained the reasons for the potential price increase of the iPhone 15. Firstly, Apple will comply with EU regulations and replace the Lightning interface with Type-C. Additionally, this year's new models are expected to feature new chipsets, and non-Pro models are expected to include the "Dynamic Island" feature. Furthermore, the iPhone series has not seen a price increase in the United States since 2017, so Apple is likely to decide on a significant price hike this time.

Currently, the iPhone 14 starts at $799, while the iPhone 14 Plus costs an additional $100, the starting price for the iPhone 14 Pro is $999, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is priced at $1,099. Many analysts have predicted that Apple will increase the prices of the iPhone 15, with the high-end Pro series potentially seeing a $200 price hike.

Ives mentioned that there are over 250 million iPhone users who haven't upgraded their devices in over four years, so he expects iPhone 15 sales to reach between 235 million and 240 million units. One of the reasons for the upgrade is that some iPhone users want to switch to the more commonly used Type-C interface.

Furthermore, the continuous increase in the cost of key components is also one of the main factors behind the price hike for the iPhone 15. Looking at the teardown report of the iPhone 14, the OLED panel is the most expensive key component, followed by the camera module and the main processor. The component cost of the iPhone 14 Pro Max was $501, over $60 higher than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It is expected that the component cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely soar again, reaching a new all-time high.