Apple Event 2023: iPhone 15 Pro may not get a price hike, TrendForce

Apple Event 2023 : The smartphone industry is abuzz with excitement ahead of the Apple Wonderlust event, where the iPhone 15 series will be unveiled. The Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to launch four devices as part of its upcoming series iPhone: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While the standard models are set to receive a handful of new features such as Dynamic Island, a 48MP camera and USB Type-C, the Pro variants are set to get more premium features such as an action button and a bezel titanium.

Previous rumours suggested that all of these changes could result in a price increase for the iPhone 15 Pro, but that's not likely to be the case.

iPhone 15 Pro: No price hike

Citing Tim Long, an analyst at British bank Barclays, previously reported that the iPhone 15 Pro will see a price increase of $100 over the iPhone 14 Pro, which currently costs $999. This would mean a starting price of at least $1,099 for the 128GB variant of the iPhone 15 Pro. However, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce recently predicted that a price increase for the smaller iPhone Pro model is unlikely and will continue starting at $999.

Dismissing rumours about a possible storage upgrade, TrendForce also reported that Apple would continue to offer the iPhone 15 Pro with the same 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options but with an increase in RAM to 8GB. Therefore, potential iPhone 15 Pro buyers could pick up the 128GB variant for $999.

This is not likely to be the case with the higher-end iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to the TrendForce report, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to get a price hike and is likely to start at $1,199, an increase of $100 over the current price of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The reason behind the price hike

The reported price increase of the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be due to several new features coming to Apple's high-end iPhone. This year's highlight is expected to be the new periscope camera on board the iPhone 15 Pro Max that could offer zoom capabilities of up to 5X-6X. On the other hand, some rumours also predicted that it would have zoom capabilities of up to 10X, which could put it on par with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

While the authenticity of these rumours cannot be confirmed, the Apple Wonderlust event is certainly shaping up to be an exciting event, with products like the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and AirPods Pro 2 with USB Type-C in the works.