The iPhone 17 Pro could start with 256GB of storage as part of a $50 price increase across the lineup this year, a Weibo leaker has suggested.
In a new post, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" reiterated rumors that the iPhone 17 lineup will be announced on Tuesday, September 9 with a $50 price hike across the board, and pondered whether the increase could come hand-in-hand with a storage bump.
Today, the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Pro start with 128GB of storage, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts with 256GB of storage. The four models are priced starting at $799, $899, $999, and $1,199, respectively.
In July, Jefferies said that Apple will implement a $50 price increase across the iPhone 17 lineup to offset rising component costs and China tariffs. This means the iPhone 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max will likely be priced at $849, $949, $1,049, and $1,249, if the company's positioning and pricing trends continue.
It's possible that Apple could increase the iPhone 17 Pro's base storage to 256GB, bringing it in line with the Pro Max, to help justify its $50 price increase. That would represent an effective price cut of $50 over today's iPhone 16 Pro with 256GB of storage and help to simplify the lineup.
Likewise, The Wall Street Journal reported in May that Apple was considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models. 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 tariffs.
