WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal.

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop
The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China.

The U.S. and China recently agreed to suspend most tariffs imposed during their trade dispute, but a 20% tariff implemented by President Trump on Chinese goods remains in place and covers smartphones.

The WSJ report notes that Apple is particularly concerned about avoiding any appearance that price increases are directly related to tariffs. From the report:

The people familiar with the supply chain said Apple would have trouble making up for China tariff costs solely by seeking further savings from its suppliers, meaning a hit to its profit margin was likely unless it could raise prices.

At the same time, company executives are wary of blaming increases on tariffs. When a news report in April said Amazon might show the impact of tariffs to its shoppers, the White House called it a hostile act and Amazon quickly said the idea "was never approved and is not going to happen."

These circumstances have led Apple to look at what supply-chain insiders described as the least-bad choice: raising prices on the new iPhones to preserve profit and finding reasons other than tariffs to explain the move. It couldn't be determined what new features Apple may offer to help justify price increases.

Amid growing pressure over U.S.-China trade tensions, Apple has built up inventory and shifted manufacturing for the U.S. market to India. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated earlier this month that a majority of iPhones shipped to the U.S. in the April-June quarter would come from India.

However, Chinese factories will continue to handle most production for Apple's high-end Pro and Pro Max models, as India's infrastructure and technical capabilities aren't yet sufficient to support mass production at China's scale.

The upcoming iPhone lineup, expected to be called iPhone 17, is expected to include an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which replaces the Plus model in Apple's lineup. Current iPhone models range from the base iPhone 16 starting at $799 to the iPhone 16 Pro Max at $1,199.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...

Top Rated Comments

Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
19 weeks ago

The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China.
Look we've changed the camera layout. +$150.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crisneat Avatar
19 weeks ago
Honestly, raising prices for the iPhone 17 sounds risk. People are already stretched thin with inflation, and iPhones aren’t cheap. If the upgrades aren’t groundbreaking, customers might just stick with their current phones longer or buy older models.
Meanwhile, other brands are offering serious competition at lower prices. If Apple keeps pushing up costs they might lose some ground especially in markets where budget matters more.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
19 weeks ago
And I'm sure this will be a global increase, not a domestic one. Which funnily enough means iPhones sold outside the US will be even more profitable for Apple!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L92 Avatar
19 weeks ago
Read the room Apple. I'm in Europe, their phones are really overpriced here. I'm ready to jump ship if they get more expensive.
Macs on the other hand are great value, they are unmatched considering what they offer.
Phones? It's really the software now... Android cameras in many cases surpassed Apple, Snapdragon chips are neck and neck, software support detto. And the Ai tools are vastly superior. The iPhone has competition.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GDF Avatar
19 weeks ago
First it was Covid that companies blamed for price increases and now tarriffs. I just don’t buy it. After Covid was over prices never really came back down. US/China already agreed to significantly reduce tariff's last night. So, enough of the excuses to raise prices.

Consumers need to push back on this stuff. Stop buying and prices go down. Accept higher prices and they stay and then go up again. Consumers own the market, not businesses.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bokito Avatar
19 weeks ago
The tariffs are just bad for Apple's business. Apple's prices are at the max that a lot of people can or will afford, so increasing them will hurt sales. There is no good, Apple's profits will take a hit. Either from lower sales or from paying tariffs.

I think Apple can avoid price increases for now as the dollar took a hit and Apple didn't lower prices overseas, so they get more Dollars for their Euros and Pounds.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)