The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have already been reported to receive a price hike due to various factors. However, if customers want to own Apple’s latest and greatest in 2023, a rumor claims that they will have to pay 48 percent more compared to the most expensive iPhone 14 model that the company has ever released.
Doing the math, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would cost customers around $2,900
Given that both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have previously been reported to arrive with more exclusive features, Apple’s decision to increase both the models’ prices would be justified. However, UDN reports that the top-tier model would cost RMD 20,000, which converts into $2,900, appearing like a ‘cash grab.’ Also, the iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB of storage costs $1,599 in the U.S., so a 48 percent price increase does not equal $2,900.
It is possible that UDN was taking into account the pricing of the iPhone 14 Pro Max in China and then introducing the figure of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Since the $2,900 asking price is most probably for the top-tier configuration, it is unlikely that the majority of the consumers will purchase this version. The report also mentions that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could arrive in the 2TB storage model, which would likely be the reason for this massive price increase, but there are other factors involved too.
For instance, the global economy is going through a rough patch, meaning that manufacturing costs for components have increased, including smartphone parts. Additionally, developing the next-generation A17 Bionic on TSMC’s N3E process will be a costly move, and so will adding a periscope zoom lens, a feature that is said to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
If that was not enough, Apple is also rumored to introduce the world’s thinnest bezels on both the Pro models later this year, at 0.06 inches, so achieving this feat has some level of cost associated with it. However, assuming the $2,900 price tag rumor ends up being true, a ton of customers may be discouraged by the path that Apple is taking and will likely resort to acquiring the less expensive variants. Alternatively, when the iPhone 15 lineup officially launches, these customers can also purchase the last-generation iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max for a more attractive price.
News Source: UDN
